COLD
by Jensi
Summary: Kendra has moved to Forks with her small family to escape the past. How is she supposed to do that when it haunts her? Will a certain family help her along the way? No Bella here, just some of the others.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi all! I know that this is SO very short, but I am trying to think about what happens next. Please review what I have so far and let me know if you think it could go anywhere. ****J Thanks so much!**

**I own NONE of the Twilight characters. Not a one!**

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**Kendra Jones stared out of the window, a frown on her pale face. It was pouring down rain, the water streaking the window of her bedroom. She sighed and grabbed a hoodie from her bed, pulling it over her head. "Ready, Ken?" **

"**It's so pretty outside. Why wouldn't I be?" Her stepsister Heidi Allen stared at her with patient brown eyes as she watched Kendra pull the hood over her crimson hair that fell to her shoulder. The sarcasm dripped from Kendra's words, and she rolled her indigo eyes. **

"**Remember why you're here." Heidi reminded her slowly, and Kendra nodded. "It's the best thing."**

"**Yeah." Kendra agreed vacantly, staring at the floor for a moment. She walked out of the room with her petite brunette stepsister and down the stairs, where they both grabbed another coat to pull over their sweatshirts. Kendra wrinkled her nose as they ran to the blue Camry, and she stared out of the window as they drove to Forks High School. Forks, Washington. It was her rainy new home with her father and stepsister, at least temporarily. She had arrived a couple of days ago, and knew that she could not put off going back into her junior year too much longer. Her life back home in Maryland had already set her back some in school, and she'd need to catch up with that alone. It had not stopped raining once since she'd arrived. Heidi pulled into the small parking lot and parked, and Kendra realized how small the town truly was. The school itself was composed of a few buildings, and she gazed at it with a sullen look. She glanced at Heidi, who was looking at her with concern. "Don't worry, sis. I just need…..time or something like that."**

"**I know. I wish I knew what to say to you." Heidi told her, taking her hand for a moment. "Just talk when you need to."**

"**Yup." Kendra agreed, and they got out of the car. They hurried through the rain as Kendra tried to ignore the curious looks from the students that had probably known each other since birth. Kendra went to the office for an idea of where her classes were, and read it absently as she walked through the door. **

"**You must be the new girl, Kendra." She bumped into the voice that spoke to her, and gazed up at a dark haired guy that had an awkward smile on his face. "I'm Eric, and I would be happy to help you with anything that you need. I know this school well."**

"**Well, it is pretty small." Kendra said, and he glanced at the paper in her hand. **

"**The feature is about you in the paper this week." Eric told her, and she gazed at him with horror. "Your Spanish class is this way." He walked forward, and she followed after a second of staring at him. **

"**Why a feature?" Kendra asked, her hands shaking.**

"**It's big news when we get a new student. Everybody has been waiting for you." Eric explained, and she grabbed his arm so hard that he stared at her with surprise. **

"**No feature. Please." She knew that her blue eyes were wild with fear, and she tried to look down. "I just…..don't like the attention." She blinked and looked up again. "That is really more Heidi. Do one on her, but please not me."**

"**Ok, Kendra. Relax." Eric gave here a strange look as he pointed out her class, and she hurried in. The students looked up at her with interest, and she took a seat in the back quickly as she pulled off her coat. She kept her hood on to fight the chill in the classroom, and stared at the desk in front of her. She listened to the teacher through her daze, and did the same every class after that. She did see the looks of curiosity from everyone, but kept to herself and only responded in an icy tone to anybody that attempted to speak to her. The final class before lunch was finally over, and she strolled slowly to the tiny cafeteria. The one back home had been three times the size due to the size of the student body. Home. Kendra's eyes stung for a moment, and she bumped into somebody else. **

"**Sorry." Kendra mumbled, wiping at her eyes as she did. She looked up into the face of the most striking guy that she had ever seen. His face was a pale tone with deep golden eyes that penetrated her, and she flicked over his perfectly tousled mess of bronze hair on his head. He gazed down at her with interest, his head a good few inches over her 5'2". Kendra ducked her head and walked away from him into the cafeteria, as her eyes searched for Heidi. She saw a hand stick up, and walked up to the table only to see Eric there. He grinned, and she glanced at the rest of the table as she sighed inwardly. She sat down, suffered through the introductions, and then got up to grab some food. She came out of the line, and looked over to the other side to see the guy that she had bumped into at a table with a group of four other people. As she gazed at them, she realized that they were all beautiful and how much they actually stood out. The eyes were the same and the skin was pale on the other two guys and two girls, yet they looked different. One guy was athletic and big, while the other lean and shorter. One of the girls was model ready, and the other beautiful in a pixie was. She realized how long she had been staring and looked away so that she could walk to her table. She didn't miss the eyes of the one that she had bumped into before she did, focused on her in deep thought. She returned to her table and answered Heidi's questions about her classes quietly, feeling eyes on her from across the cafeteria. Kendra turned her head to meet the eyes of the whole table, and they seemed to be silent as they looked at her. **

"**Where are you here from?" The question jolted her back to reality, and she turned her head. Eric was looking at her with curious brown eyes, and she shook her head for a second.**

"**I….ah….I am here from the East Coast." Kendra replied vaguely, and he frowned as he glanced at his friends. Heidi gazed at her with worry in her brown eyes, and Kendra threw her a helpless look. She was nowhere near small talk with the kids at school. She remained silent for the remainder, willing herself not glare over at the mystery guy as well. She got up quickly as the bell rang, and found next class easily on her own. She barely remembered of they thus far, and she sighed as she took a seat in the back of the room. A beautiful brunette came in and sat in the back a few rows over, and her gaze settled on Kendra for a moment. Kendra realized that she was from the table in the cafeteria, and she sighed as she closed her eyes. This day was turning out to be torturously long for her. She got through the class that turned out to be math, and was glad to have just one more to suffer through. Too bad the one more was gym, and worse yet badminton. She frowned as she watched the students laughing and talking as she stood against the wall. The teacher took reprieve and let her sit it out, and she stared at the floor as the chaos surrounded her. There was a memory tugging at her brain, and she felt the sting of tears as she allowed herself to remember the bright blue eyes that burned forever in her brain. The pain flooded her head and she bit her lip from crying out as the headache slammed into her. Kendra rested her head in her hands and took a deep breath as she forced her mind to clear. She heard the bell and forced her head up as the students cleared the room.**

**Kendra stumbled to the parking lot where Heidi was waiting, and her sister looked at her with wide eyes. "Ken? What is it?"**

"**I just want to go home. Please, Heidi."**

"**Baby girl, it has only been a month. I'm so sorry that you're suffering so much." Heidi told her, and Kendra got into the car as the tears hit her hard. Heidi followed and opened her mouth to say something, but chose to stay silent. What could she say?**

**Kendra skipped dinner and chose to just hide under her blankets in her room as the sky grew darker and darker. She drifted in and out of a restless sleep, waking up several times ready to scream from the repeated nightmare. She finally had to get up and go into the bathroom, and she looked outside to see the rain falling again. She shook her head and let the tears fall again, sure that she would never be able to hold it together. **


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own any Twilight characters, just my own words down there!! Let me know what you think……**

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**Kendra woke up to a knock on her door the next morning, and groggily opened her eyes. She pulled the covers over her eyes, and heard the door open. "Ken? Are you okay?" Heidi sat on the bed and Kendra sighed.**

"**I'm staying here today." Kendra told her, feeling her head swim with dizziness as she rolled over. "I just…..:**

"**Kendra, I know that we are not close and I wish that was different. I have no idea where you are at or what you are going through, and it's killing me to watch it." Kendra felt a hand on her leg. "I'll come see you after school. Get some rest." **

**Kendra felt Heidi stand up, and then the door close. She threw the covers off her face to help her breath, and felt the rush of tears again. She closed her eyes wearily and let them fall as she drifted off to sleep again. She could not get out of bed for a week, and the repeated visits from Heidi and her dad didn't help. Kendra felt so helpless every time he sat with her, and she stared out of the window as he sat in the chair in the corner of her small room. "Kendra, is there anything I can do to help you?" His voice was hoarse as he spoke, and she gazed at him for a fleeting second only to see the pain in his face. "I can get counseling, or whatever you need. I just want you to get out of bed again. I remember you being so happy and full of life, and now…….you are just there." **

"**I….I just need time. I will get up and face life again, I promise. It would help if I had some closure." Kendra said, and swallowed the constant lump that was in her throat. **

"**Go to school with Heidi. That will make her handle this so much better and it is something that gets you out of the house." James Allen urged her, patting her foot as he stood up to go to work. She nodded and took a deep breath as she sat up slowly. Her back was killing her and she moaned as she rubbed it uselessly. She picked up the phone to call her mom back home yet again, and they cried together as Kendra spilled her emotions out again. She was so scared for her mother, but the realization that her new husband Kevin was there eased her mind some. Kendra hung up and got up to take a long shower, and she took a walk outside in the woods behind their house. It was peaceful and wet from the recent rain, and she took it all in as her emotions battled inside of her. She looked around carefully, always keeping track of her surroundings as she strolled along. Kendra headed home for dinner after a long day walk, and Heidi and James smiled at her with relief. She enjoyed the chicken dinner with them, smiling softly as she began her life again.**

"**It will be great to have you back. Even Alice Cullen asked me if you were okay." Heidi said, her voice curious. James glanced up at her, and they exchanged a look. "They don't talk to anyone, but you must be on their radar." **

"**Who are they?" Kendra asked, remembering the table of five at lunch the last time that she had been there.**

"**Dr. Cullen and his wife have five foster children that attend the school. They are good people, so don't start with the gossip." He glared at Heidi. "They do keep to themselves, but the kids are polite and cause no trouble at all here. Let them be who they are."**

"**So are they related in any way?" Kendra asked, her curiosity distracting her from her current situation. **

"**I think Jasper and Rosalie are siblings, but that's it. They are all gorgeous." Heidi giggled, and Kendra glanced at her. "Jessica has a thing for Edward, but he does not even so much as look at any of the girls at school." **

**Kendra remembered the one that she had walked into, and she frowned a little. He looked at her, if not a bit painfully. She took another bite of dinner, and Heidi looked at her expectantly. "I think I'll go back tomorrow. I can't hide in here forever."**

**Kendra got up in time the next morning in time to take a decent shower in the single bathroom in the house, and glanced out of the window at the gray skies. She clipped her hair up and threw on some make up to improve the pale hue of her skin. Sleeping so much had not done her well. She pulled on her favorite jeans and a long sleeved gray shirt, and met up with Heidi in the hallway. "Hey, sis. Good to see you." Heidi greeted her, and Kendra raised her eyebrows in response. "It's a start." They walked to the car as the girls pulled on their jackets, and Kendra sighed as they drove to the school. She was nervous and her stomach twisted, and she wondered if it would be like her new day all over again. She looked at the parking lot as they pulled in and it was crowded with students enjoying the moment of no rain. Kendra got out and was relieved when Heidi's friends smiled at her and acted relatively normal, and she eased into her day slowly. Kendra was in less of a daze in her classes and a bit more open to the people talking to her, but her mind was still racing all of the time. She was glad when it was lunch time, and then she remembered Edward and his siblings. She looked ahead to see who was walking so she would not bump into anybody, and made her way to get some food before she sat down. **

**Kendra found herself looking their way almost automatically as she left the line, and was met by Edward Cullen's powerful gaze. He looked frustrated and his face was twisted with the emotion in his eyes as he gazed at her. The dark haired girl said something to him and Kendra glanced at her as Edward threw his hands up in the air slowly, wondering if that was Alice. The girl looked at her with a hesitant smile, and Kendra frowned as she focused on Edward again. He looked down at the table, and Kendra forced herself to look forward and walk to where Heidi was sitting. Heidi was looking at her curiously, and Kendra sat down quickly and opened her soda. "You okay?"**

"**Sure, sure." Kendra replied, and ice traveled through her veins. She took a deep breath and her eyes widened slightly, and she sipped her soda as she closed her eyes. Heidi tilted her head and Kendra tried to force a smile on her face to reassure her that she was alright. She focused on the table and tried to concentrate on Heidi's friends. Out of the six of them, she liked Angela the best. She was a tiny little dark haired girl who was sweet and shy, and Kendra felt like they would get along. Jessica was a bit full of herself, though pretty, and also very gossipy. She talked about everyone, and Kendra wondered silently what she had said about her during her absence. Kendra looked at her stepsister and hoped that she would respect her privacy, but the look she got in return assured her that she would. The guys were nice enough, but not as fascinating as Edward as he left the room. Kendra lifted her eyes slightly as he did, and he glanced at her painfully again. She stood up to go herself and shook her head slightly. What was his issue? **

**Kendra took a seat in Calculus and popped on her IPO for a moment before the class started. Music always calmed her, and she focused on it for a second. "You're back." A lilting voice broke her spell, and she looked up to see who she assumed was Alice Cullen sitting two seats over. **

"**Ummm, yeah." Kendra replied, taken by surprise. Alice was tiny, like a little pixie. Her pale face was stunning and her eyes were a shade of amber that Kendra had never seen before. Alice had a short and spiky haircut that not just anyone could pull off, and her smile was bright and warm. Kendra shook her head and looked back down. "I was…..sick."**

"**That's too bad. It must be hard to start over again after just one day." Alice said, and Kendra met her knowing look reluctantly. **

"**Yeah, sure." Class started and Kendra yanked out her ear bud quickly. Kendra hurried out after class, feeling uncomfortable. She wondered what the look had meant, and it chilled her inside. She took out her fear on the badminton game, and Angela gave her a look as they finished up. **

"**I am glad to play with you, Kendra, but wow. You came back with a vengeance." **

"**I got bored being sick at home." Kendra admitted, and took a deep breath.**

"**I do as well." Angela admitted, smiling. They went in to change back into their clothes, and Kendra went to meet Heidi in the parking lot. She felt eyes on her and she glanced over to see Edward looking at her from his own car, which was a very new silver Volvo. He was leaning against it, and he seemed to be trying to figure her out as he stared at her. Alice walked up to the car holding hands with the blond guy from the cafeteria, and she said something to Edward as she leaned against her boyfriend. He glanced over at her, and Alice met Kendra's eyes with a warm glance. Kendra looked forward and walked to Heidi's car, where her stepsister was listening to her Ipod as she read something. **

"**Hey." Kendra greeted her, getting in the car as she stared at the gray clouds. "When is it sunny here?"**

"**Every now and again. I spend a lot of time outside on those days." Heidi admitted, smiling. She looked at Kendra. "You seem better today."**

"**I need to move forward." Kendra admitted softly, and took a deep breath. "I am going to try and do that."**

"**I'm glad. I am here for you." Heidi told her, and she took Kendra's hand.**

"**I know. I just can't really…..talk about it. I have enough trouble knowing it is out there." Kendra explained slowly, and Heidi nodded. The girls drove home and made dinner for their father, and Kendra went up to her room to complete some homework before she went to bed for the night. Painful memories nagged at her, and she plugged her Ipod into a speaker and turned it up to a respectable level. She sang along to the words absently and pushed the memories away. This was not Maryland, this was Washington and she was away from all of it. She bit her lip and relaxed against the pillows on her bed, and closed her eyes. **

**The next day was Saturday, and she slept in for longer than planned. It was cloudy but dry outside, and the girls made breakfast for themselves since James was fishing with friends. They watched a movie and then headed into Port Angela's for some shopping and a quick dinner to kill some time. Kendra was less of a shopper than Her stepsister, but she wandered around the shops as Heidi tried several things on. "Hi there." Kendra heard a voice cheerfully greet her, and saw that it was Alice Cullen. She glanced at her in surprise and raised her eyebrows. "You like to shop as well?"**

"**No, not that much. I am hanging out with my sister." Kendra realized how expensive Alice's outfit was, and she even bet on it being a designer label. She looked around the casual clothing store they were in. "Is this the kind of shop that you like?"**

"**I like all shopping." Alice assured her, and glanced over as a gorgeous blond girl walked up to them. Kendra realized that it was the other girl from the family, and she stared into the cold amber eyes hesitantly. "Rosalie, this is Kendra. My sister Rosalie."**

**The blond said nothing as Kendra mumbled a greeting, and Kendra was frustrated. Edward looked at her like she was an alien, and this one looked at her like she hated her. Alice looked at Rosalie and then gave Kendra an apologetic smile. **

**Heidi came out of the dressing rooms when Alice and Kendra were saying goodbye after that very awkward moment, and she looked at her sister. "Is that who I think it was? Are you friends with her?"**

"**I don't….think so. I have barely spoken to her." Kendra replied, and she looked at Heidi. "How did you do?"**

"**Good, but I think this is more you." Kendra caught the shirt that was being tossed at her and looked at the deep green layer tee. Kendra nodded slowly in agreement, lost in thought and Heidi frowned at her. "Sis?"**

"**Sorry. It's kind of just…..weird." Kendra fumbled with her words and shook her head. "Let me see what you have." She glanced at the pile of clothing, feigning interest and smiling. "You'll look great, Heidi. You always do." She smiled at her sister genuinely for a moment, admiring the pale skin and brown eyes. She held up her green shirt and grinned. "I guess I will too."**

**They hit a few more Alice and Rosalie free stores, and went to a small Italian place for dinner. Kendra glanced around as they were seated, and smelled the food with a smile. She ordered an iced tea to drink and read the menu slowly as she tried to decide. Kendra let her thoughts wander as she read the words, and the past mingled with the present slowly. Images flashed through her mind and she felt her knees buckle as she took a deep breath. "Kendra? What is it?" Heidi asked her, leaning forward. **

"**I am suffocating." Kendra told her, leaning against her hands as the tears hit. "God, I can't totally move past this."**

"**Do you want to leave?" Heidi asked, and Kendra shook her head. **

"**I don't want to end up hiding under the covers for another week." Kendra answered, and took a deep breath. "Order me the mushroom ravioli when the waitress comes. I need a minute but I'll be fine." **

**Heidi ordered for both of them and Kendra regained her composure by the time their food came. She ate quietly and Heidi gazed at her from time to time with panicking eyes. They didn't linger over the table and walked out right after they were done, and Kendra glanced up with burning eyes to see a silver Volvo drive slowly by. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Kendra stopped walking as she watched the car pass, but she could not see who was inside. Heidi walked past her, and glanced back. "Sis? Everything OK?"**

"**Yeah, it is." Kendra replied, her mind racing with curiosity. She told herself that it was Alice and Rosalie driving the car, and that **_**he **_**was not here as well. What would he be here for, unless it was a coincidence? For that matter, why were they there? She got into Heidi's car and tried to focus on the music playing as they drove home, chatting idly. She sensed that Heidi wanted to ask her questions, but held back. Kendra know that she owed her some answers, but her mind could not handle facing it by doing so. She went up to her room when she got home and closed the door, and pulled out her cell phone from her purse. She turned on the touch lamp on the nightstand and sat down slowly. She dialed the familiar number, and choked on her tears as her mother answered. "Mom." Kendra said, and her mom instantly asked what was wrong. "I had a bad night. I…..I said something that he always used to say without even thinking about it, and I lost it." She listened as her mom spoke to her comfortingly, and nodded as she closed her eyes. "I'm scared. I hate you being there and being away from you, and I worry about you." She felt like she was at home when she spoke to her mother, having had to leave her so suddenly. Nobody had expected what happened, and Kendra was still reeling from the sudden decision that she had made. The dreams returned that night, vague but terrifying and Kendra tossed and turned all night. She woke up the next morning early to a hint of sunlight, and sat up and gazed out of the window. Kendra got out of bed and pulled on jeans and a oversized Capitals jersey and yanked her hair back into a ponytail. She brushed her teeth and pulled on her shoes, and headed outside after leaving Heidi a note and taking her car keys. Kendra drove the direction that she knew the ocean was in, making sure that she had her phone in case she got lost. She saw the waves crashing against the sand as she drove past some high cliffs, and looked for a turn off to get to the beach. **

**Kendra found a small parking lot, and took the space at the end. She left the car and slid the keys into her purse as she walked down to the sand, and breathed in the salty ocean air. The ocean always cleared her mind, but today it seemed so full of bad memories. She walked along as she looked out over the water, kind of appreciating Forks a little more. Ocean City had been a bit of a drive for her, and she had not gotten out that way too often. This was much closer, and beautiful. She looked ahead and saw a group of people on the cliffs, and her eyes widened as one of them jumped off into the water below. They were all laughing and continuing to jump, so she assumed they were fine and kept walking. Heidi called her an hour later to ask if she wanted to go to lunch, but Kendra really knew that she wanted her car back. She drove home and they went to the local diner for a quick lunch, since their father was fishing again. He did that a lot since the separation with his second wife, and Heidi's mother. Janice now lived in Seattle and worked for a law firm, and Heidi visited regularly. Heidi and Kendra went home afterwards to finish some homework for the next day, and Kendra tried to go to bed early. The dreams plagued her and she woke up early Monday exhausted again. She got up and took a shower, pulling in leggings and her jersey from the beach walk. Her eyes had dark circles underneath them, so she gave up and just pulled her hair back into a clip as she sighed. Heidi looked equally tired, but beautiful as always, and she led the way to the car as they both sipped coffee silently. Kendra looked around nervously as they parked, barely seeing the gray skies that had returned. Everybody's face was blurry as she scanned the parking lot, not seeing The Cullens or the silver car. She sighed, hoping that they might be gone for the day, though the chances of all five being gone were slim. **

**Kendra went to her first class and huddled in her jacket to keep warm as the chill remained in her bones. She took her notes and paid an acceptable amount of attention to the lectures that day, but she was thinking all day about the weekend. Lunch came and she walked slowly towards the cafeteria, and got in line. Her appetite was small today, and she grabbed an apple and a soda to liven her up a little. Kendra walked out into the main room and took a deep breath as she looked over. They were there, looking dazzling as always but bothering her by their very presence. She looked at the table and noticed that their trays of food were pushed away from all of them and that not one of the siblings touched it. They had never been eating when she looked at them, as she searched her mind to remember. Her eyes lifted to their faces, and Edward's dark eyes met hers at the same time. She realized that they were a deep brown as opposed to the amber that she had seen the day that she bumped into him, and she frowned. He stared back at her, and seemed to be searching her face as he did. Kendra sucked in her breath and glanced at the sisters, and Alice smiled over at her brilliantly while Rosalie focused on one of the brothers. She must be his girlfriend as Alice seemed to be the girlfriend of the other one. Kendra found that kind of odd in a way, but at least they looked happy. She smiled in a bittersweet way, and Edward narrowed his eyes slightly. Kendra bit her lip and walked to the table, as her and Heidi rolled their eyes at each other. Kendra felt like it lasted hours, and she found herself looking at their table a few times automatically. **

**Kendra went to Calculus and took her seat, trying to focus on her curiosity. She watched Alice walk in, and realized that it was more like dancing than just plain walking as she did. Alice looked at her with the same smile and raised her eyebrows as she glanced at the seat next to Kendra. "May I?"**

"**Yes." Kendra replied, shrugging as she half smiled. **

"**Good. We can get to know each other." Alice told her, seeming to be genuinely happy. **

**Kendra looked around the near empty class, and gazed at Alice. "I hear that you don't do that often. Why me?"**

**Alice looked at her with the same dark eyes that her brother had, and Kendra frowned. "I feel drawn to you, Kendra. Maybe it is the gorgeous red hair." She smiled as she complimented Kendra, and Kendra began to tug on a strand. "Besides, don't you want to make friends? It seems as though you might be more comfortable that way."**

"**Or not." Kendra contradicted, and Alice frowned. Kendra heard the other students coming in, and glanced forward at the teacher. She watched the teacher write on the board, familiar with all of it and a little bored. Alice seemed to be as familiar with it, as she took no notes either. Kendra snuck a glance at her, and the pixie was looking at her searchingly. The bell rang and Kendra walked out slowly behind Alice as they joined the line of students. Alice stopped and Kendra looked up to see Edward waiting there, and she widened her eyes as she decided what to do. **

"**Kendra, this is my brother Edward. Edward, meet Kendra." **

"**Nice to meet you." Kendra murmured, realizing that he was not shaking hands.**

"**It is a pleasure to meet you." Edward's voice was like velvet as he spoke, and she felt her legs grow shaky. He gazed into her face boldly, his eyes looking at every part of it. He seemed to be searching her brain as he did, and she pressed her lips together nervously. **

"**Guess I should go to class." Kendra broke the uncomfortable silence, and walked away. She had no reason to feel that way about any guy, especially now. Why had he made her so…..wobbly? She glanced back slowly to see the siblings watching her and talking intently, and she looked forward with a frown. She went to gym and completely messed up the game with Angela as she thought about Edward. She was happy to leave and go to the car, but Alice came up beside her out of the blue. **

"**Hi, Kendra." **

"**Oh God. Hi, Alice." Kendra said, and noticed the other siblings looking at her from across the lot. **

"**Would you like to come over for awhile? I thought we could study for that test coming up in a few days." Alice asked her, and Kendra looked at her with a curious gaze. **

"**We are both doing fine in Math, Alice." Kendra said slowly, and Alice grinned beautifully.**

"**So just come by for a bit then." Alice countered, and glanced at Edward with a raise of her eyebrow.**

"**I drive with Heidi, so I don't have a vehicle." Kendra told her, and Alice smiled. "Maybe another day." **

"**I look forward to it." Alice told her, and her face lit up. "We'll bring two cars tomorrow, and you can just come along then."**

"**Sounds great." Kendra said, her nerves giving way to weak legs. "Alice, is there some kind of agenda here? I mean, I see that nobody here is friends with you." Her voice was low and she gazed at Alice with pleading eyes. "Is there a reason that you are doing this?" Fear filled her mind as she thought about something, and she wanted to flee the scene immediately. It couldn't be……..**

"**Kendra, calm down. I just want to hang out." Alice told her, and Kendra stared at her with scared eyes. Alice smiled reassuringly at her, and some sense of calm washed over her out of nowhere. Kendra looked around and shuddered, seeing that the other siblings were gazing at her. "Are you alright?"**

"**Not really." Kendra said, feeling like she was about to lose her grip on her emotions. Edward frowned as he watched her face crumbling, and Alice looked over at him. He seemed to communicate without words to his sister, and she stared at Kendra. "I have to go, Alice." Kendra walked over to Heidi, who was waiting in the car. Heidi looked at her curiously as she got in, and Kendra stared out of the window.**

"**So you're friends with her now? Or is it them collectively?" Heidi asked her, and Kendra shrugged. "Is she nice? She looks nice."**

"**Yes, she is. But I cannot say that I trust her." Kendra replied, and looked at Heidi with a fearful expression. "What if they know him? They seem to know something about me."**

"**They have lived here for about four years, Kendra. I can vouch for that." Heidi told her, and Kendra stared out of the front window. "I don't think they're from Maryland either." She stared at Kendra, and Kendra looked at her to see her stricken eyes. "He really has you spooked, doesn't he?"**

"**Yeah." Kendra said, and they sat there in silence. Heidi drove home and Kendra went upstairs to work on homework all night. She skipped dinner and tried to go to sleep early, but it took a long time to drift off. When she finally did, she dreamed vividly of the past and the present. It was the same dream that she always had about her past that tormented her, as she would run from familiar blue eyes that taunted her until he caught her. This one ended with Edward approaching her as she screamed for help, and the look in his eyes made her shudder. She woke up in a cold sweat, and swore that she felt a hand brushing her hair back. She reached up and connected with an icy cold hand before the contact was lost. Kendra opened her eyes with a start, looking all over her room frantically. It was empty and she sat up as she gasped for air. Kendra leaned her head forward slowly as she cried, and crawled off of the bed to her dresser slowly. She reached into a drawer and pulled something out, turning it in her hands. She just wanted the pain to go away, and she closed her eyes as she cried. **

**Kendra looked worse the next morning, and she yanked her hair into a ponytail and pulled on some jeans and a long sleeved tee without caring. She pulled on her sequined one stars as she ran out of the house with Heidi, who looked at her with worried eyes. "Insomnia." Kendra told her, and Heidi stared at her with eyes that told her she was not entirely convinced. They drove to school and Kendra listened to her Ipod all day when she was not with Heidi. She faked it then. At lunch, she only got a soda and a banana and didn't look over to see The Cullens as she walked to her table. She could not deal with them now. She purposely wore her ear buds to class afterwards, having noticed that they were there. She stared at her desk and doodled on her notebook as she listened to Muse, not looking up as someone sat next to her. She only turned it off when the class began, and she barely acknowledged Alice's glances at her. When class was over, Kendra stood up to leave but found Alice in front of her. **

"**Kendra, what's wrong? You look so tired and you are so quiet." Alice asked her, and Kendra looked at her beautiful face as it creased with worry. **

"**What do you care, Alice? You really don't know me." Kendra informed her, and Alice looked hurt. "Stop trying so hard." Kendra tried to push past her, but the pixie's strength caught her off guard. She could not move her at all. "What the….." Kendra's voice drifted off, and Alice looked down at the floor. She moved with a regretful look and Kendra stomped by. Edward was waiting for Alice outside the door, and Kendra crashed into him unceremoniously. She looked up, and saw concern in his eyes as well. "Sorry. Again." Kendra told him, and kept walking. She went to gym angry that she had started to move on, but now was right back to starting all over. At least, it felt like that to her. She kept her socialization with her sister's friends and nobody else, and soon Alice stopped trying. **

**A month later, Kendra was starting to settle into her odd routine. She still saw the looks that Alice and Edward gave her, but she just ignored them. She was walking to Calculus after lunch one day when her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she stopped outside of the door to take the call. She saw her mom's name on the screen and answered it curiously, surprised to her stepfather's voice on the other end. She listened to his words as her face crumbled, and her horror really set in. Kendra ended the call in a daze, and slid to the ground as her legs gave way. She gave in to the pitiful sobs that shook her body, and leaned on her knees. She felt someone next to her, and Alice's lilting voice echoed in her head. "Kendra, Kendra." She felt an arm around her, and then another voice said something in the distance. "Edward, you know I cannot carry her. It would look odd." Alice said in a very low voice, and Kendra felt herself being picked up as she drifted in and out. She was put into a car and driven somewhere, and she came to laying on a couch in a really bright room. Kendra opened her eyes and looked around the huge living room that was bright white in color, and decorated very tastefully and modern. There was a whole wall of windows that let the daylight in, even though it was gray outside. It was wonderful and peaceful somehow. She blinked and saw Alice come out of a door, and she rushed over to Kendra a bit too quickly. Kendra blinked, and Alice took the seat next to her. Edward appeared at the top of the stairs and descended quickly and sat in a chair across from her. "Where am I?" Kendra asked, and Alice smiled at her.**

"**You are at our house. You sort of passed out at school and we wanted you to see our dad, He is a doctor at the hospital." Alice told her, and Kendra remembered. "Who was on the phone?"**

"**Stepdad." Kendra replied, feeling the pain again. "My mom was…..attacked at her house." Kendra told them, closing her eyes as the pain washed across her head. "She is alive but has to stay in the hospital for a few days, and I don't know if I can go and see her."**

"**Why could you not go and see your own mother?" Edward asked her, and his smooth voice tore the hole in her heart open even further. It was soothing and disturbing all at once. There was also a deep curiosity in his voice that she didn't miss. Kendra, the big mystery.**

**She remained silent for a long time. She didn't know of she had the strength to form the words, nor did she know of she **_**wanted to. Kendra stared at the pale white carpet and thought until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jumped and glanced up to see that it was Alice. Kendra automatically moved to remove it, and was stunned by the coolness of her skin. She instantly remembered the dream, and the hand in her hair, and the cold hand that she touched for a moment. Her eyes widened and her eyes flicked from Edward to Alice. He looked at her with a neutral gaze, but his eyes seemed to deepen as she met his gaze. "Was it you?" Kendra whispered, and he gazed at the floor. "Were you there that night?**_

_**The door opened and the other siblings came into the house. Rosalie gave Kendra a cold look, and then seemed to glare at Alice and Edward. Her boyfriend followed, and he kind of looked at Kendra like she was a new toy and grinned widely as his eyes went right to Edward. The last guy was probably Alice's boyfriend, and that was confirmed by the warm gaze that he gave her before his gaze rested on Kendra. He seemed offended by her being there, and he looked away and walked up the stairs as Alice watched him with concerned eyes. "What is she doing here?" Rosalie asked in a beautiful, but cold voice that matched her personality to Kendra. Kendra had seen them all very close, and she now realized that they all had the same eyes. They looked different as people, or at least they had been, but they all had the same eyes now. They were all beautiful, as a sculpture would be. Kendra was thinking so hard that she didn't hear Alice's answer, and she only came out of her reverie when a new voice broke her spell. **_

"_**Kendra, you're awake. I'd like to make sure that you are okay, if you would not mind. Alice said you took a bit of a spill at school." She looked up to see a blond man smiling warmly down at her, and her mouth almost dropped open. She could only assume that this was Dr Cullen, and he was gorgeous. If he adopted all of these kids, he must have done it when he was ten years old. She figured he could pass for a young thirty if he lied well, but he looked very young and again had those eyes. "I am Carlisle Cullen. My kids were concerned enough to bring you here."**_

"_**I think I am fine. I just got a……bad phone call." Kendra said, suddenly feeling awkward. She slowly moved to a sitting position, and looked at the floor to avoid all of the eyes on her. "I'll be fine."**_

"_**Did you hit your head? That could be a concern to me." Carlisle told her, and she did feel some pain that could not be specifically determined as a headache. He saw her face and gestured to the couch beside her. "May I?"**_

"_**Sure." Kendra closed her eyes as he pressed into her head gently, reminding herself to let him. She only wanted to fight it, and she sighed slowly. Time passed slowly, and finally he seemed to be done.**_

"_**You seem fine, Kendra. Are you experiencing pain anywhere else?" Carlisle asked her, and she laughed brokenly. **_

"_**I am hurting just about every which way I can right now, but I don't think you can fix that." Kendra replied, and she felt tears in her eyes again. She wiped at them with one hand, and opened them with a resigned sigh.**_

"_**Come into my office, Kendra. I'd like to talk." Carlisle suggested, and she met his eyes. They were trusting , amber, and warm. He clearly spoke out of concern, and she trusted him not to be involved with the situation. A woman came down the stairs and she glanced up in distraction, and he lovingly introduced her as his wife Esme. She was beautiful as well, with caramel curls and a warm motherly smile. It made Kendra miss her own mother desperately, and she bit her lip as she thought about what had happened to her. She wiped her eyes again, and felt the sobs coming. "Kendra? Would you like to talk?" Carlisle asked her again gently, and she finally nodded. She knew that it was time, even though her heart was pounding do hard that she could hardly breathe.**_


	4. Chapter 4

**I own NO Twilight characters…….just so you know.**

**Let me know what you think of this so far. It has been a bit more difficult than expected, and would love some feedback. Thanks!!!!**

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Kendra took a deep breath and stood up on trembling legs, and she felt Alice next to her instantly supporting her with her arm around her waist. Kendra glanced at her with a small smile and then her gaze went to Edward, who was gazing at her with a fearful gaze. Kendra stared back at him, realizing that he had never answered her. Maybe she would get that later after she was done purging with Carlisle, and the thought made her struggle with her own breath again. "Come on, Kendra. I'll help you." Alice urged her, and Kendra broke the eye contact with Edward as she nodded. She walked to the office as Alice helped her, and Esme brought a bottle of water into the office just before they reached it. It was a huge room on the first floor of the expansive home and Kendra peeked in curiously as her and Alice walked in. "I'll stay if you want me to, Kendra." Alice offered, and Carlisle looked at them from the door with a curious look.

"Ummmm, I……" Kendra stumbled, and Carlisle touched Alice's shoulder.

"Perhaps a moment. I think she would be better on her own." Carlisle suggested quietly, and Kendra met his eyes gratefully. "Please tell everyone that we'd like some privacy." His words had a hidden meaning, and Kendra looked curiously at both of them. Carlisle noticed and seemed to give Alice a long look.

"Sure. I'll see you after." Alice told Kendra, a comforting smile on her face and reassurance in her face. She impulsively hugged Kendra, and Carlisle smiled as he shook his head. Kendra widened her eyes, both at the shock of it and the cool skin, and she stared at the girl as she pulled away. Alice danced out of the office and closed the door, and Kendra started to feel the room closing in.

"She has really taken to you." Carlisle observed, and Kendra nodded. She looked around the room and noticed the detailed paintings that covered the walls, and also the age of them.

"Why is that? All I have heard is how y'all keep to yourselves." Kendra said, walking over to take a closer look.

"I am not certain why, but Alice always has a reason behind things." Carlisle mused aloud, and she stopped at one painting in particular. She stared at it for a long moment, and then gazed at Carlisle. He looked back with a neutral face but his eyes held a bright curiosity.

"Is this you?" Kendra asked finally, her mind racing as she tried to think.

"It is." Carlisle told her, and walked around to the back of the massive cherry wood desk slowly. He turned to face her as he reached it, and she shook her head.

"But this must be…..centuries old." Kendra said, and she stepped forward to the chair that was in front of the desk to sit down. "Carlisle, what are……how old…..are you?"

"Which question would you like me to answer?" Carlisle asked her gently, meeting her eyes with calm ones.

"I have noticed things about them. Your eyes are all the same, I don't think they eat at school at all, and I have seen their eyes change color. Your skin is so cool to the touch….." Kendra flashed back to the night in her room, and she blinked. "They seem to _know about me. I mean, they seem to understand things about me that nobody does."_

"_We do not know of you on a personal level, Kendra. Alice has said that you seem to be harboring a strong pain, and it is evident in your face."_

"_What about Edward? Why does he look at me the way that he does?" Kendra asked, and Carlisle walked to the window and looked out at the gray skies. _

"_Anything you learn today needs to be kept private, Kendra. I normally would not take this step, but it seems that you have a serious situation on your hands. We would like to help, but we need to know what is happening to you." Carlisle suggested to her, and she nodded as she stared at him. "First things first. What do you think we are?"_

"_You're not human, not like I am. You are……." Kendra looked at him, and tried to think. "You don't eat food, so you need to survive on something. Is it blood?"_

"_Yes, Kendra. Though we do survive on animal blood, as opposed to human blood now. We are no threat to you, aside from Jasper who is a bit newer to the lifestyle that we lead. You may have noticed his discomfort around you so far, but it should not be a problem."_

_Kendra focused on his face, and then she took in the very pale skin with the circles underneath his eyes. It did not take away from his beauty in any way, but it did add to the fact that he did look different. "Vampire?" Kendra asked, and he smiled vaguely at her. "Oh, wow. I had not thought it through that far." She slipped into deep thought, and Carlisle sat behind his desk. "So you're stronger that I would ever be, as I gathered from Alice. I saw that you move faster than I do, though I am not sure that I have seen the best example. The eye thing……?"_

"_They are this color due to the animal blood the we survive on. They can vary in color depending on when we feed." Carlisle told her, and she stared at him. "Are you frightened, Kendra?"_

"_I don't think so. Not so much of being harmed, but of the…..intensity. What is going on with Alice and Edward?" Kendra asked, and bit her lip. "They seemed in tune to me or something."_

"_Alice predicts the future, and she saw you coming. She had a good feeling about you from the start, as far as her being friends with you. Edward….well he can read minds typically. He helps us in knowing who is aware of us, and when we are in danger of being discovered. Your mind is a different thing for him though. He reads emotions from you more than thoughts, and he has said it is highly painful for even him to experience." Kendra's eyes filled with tears, and she shuddered a little. "Are you ready to talk to me now?" _

"_I don't know where to begin." Kendra said after several moments._

"_I did hear something about your mother being hurt. Attacked, correct?" Carlisle asked, and Kendra nodded as the tears slid down her cheeks. "Are you alright? _

"_Yes." Kendra said simply, and took tissue that he offered her across the desk. "She was attacked in her home, my old home, this morning. She was beaten until she gave out the information to where….to where I am. Her facial bones are broken and her arm is broken, and there is some other minor stuff. I can't go see her, because I might not be safe there. It's killing me to stay away from her right now. I feel so guilty about everything." Her tears gave to small sobs, and he was instantly by her side comforting her with his arm around her shoulder. _

"_Who did this to her?" Carlisle asked her, and she shook with visible fear._

"_My ex." Kendra whispered, and closed her eyes. She felt him pull her into a comforting hug, and she slowly returned it. She found it to be more comfortable that she expected, and she let her tears flow freely. "He is a terrible person. Horrible." She felt herself calming down some, and he led her to a leather couch against the wall. "I met him three years ago at school, and was immediately in love with him. He was so mature and stable somehow. He seemed perfect, but of course there were signs that he was not. I just didn't see them through the first year. A year into the relationship, he slowly started to change. He became more possessive, and jealous. He really started to control me, and he weakened me along the way emotionally. I tried one night to break up with him one weekend, before it was too late for me to regain my stability and he lost it. He started to choke me and told me that he would kill me and my family if I ever left him." Kendra took a moment to take a deep breath through her tears. "I was only fifteen and terrified. I stayed with him and he got worse and worse, and I always tried to smile and pretend everything was okay. He started hurting me and forcing me to……I was so scared of him. I was finally really scared that he was going to kill me at one point, and I told him that we were done. I was stupid enough to do this alone in my house, and he…….he raped me for hours. There was no caring, no love in it at all. I was begging for him to stop, but he just….." Kendra sank into her knees and sobbed, and he stroked her shoulder gently. She flinched a little, and he got the message. "I was hurting and bleeding….and he just left. Nobody saw him again, but my family wanted me to come here. He really didn't know where my father lived or anything about Forks. So here I am and now he knows it. He's going to kill me. He's going to rape me again." She shook with real fear, and cried as she tried to calm herself down. "I was so scared that Edward and Alice knew him, and that he was going to find me. But he got to my mother instead and it is all my fault."_

"_It isn't your fault. You were young and you tried your best to do the right thing. I know that we can help you with this and you will not get hurt."_

"_Why would you help me?" Kendra asked softly, lifting her face to look at him with watering eyes._

"_You are Alice's friend, and the only one she has outside of the family. That's reason enough. You are such a promising person, Kendra, and you need to have this behind you."_

_Kendra stared forward, feeling her heart ripped out painfully but also a little glad that it was spoken. Not even Heidi knew of the details of what had happened. She had not gone into it as explicitly as she could have, but she was sure that Carlisle had gotten it. She glanced at him, and saw a painful look on his face. He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, and she looked back down at the ground. She felt drained, and she closed her eyes as she leaned against her knees. "Thanks for listening." Kendra whispered, and felt herself drifting off. The stress was too much for her, and she fell asleep._

_Kendra woke up later, and sat up with fear. "It's OK, Kendra. I am right here." The lilting voice came from across from her, and Kendra took a deep breath of relief. "You're on our couch. Carlisle said that today wore you out."_

"_Alice." Kendra said, and felt the pain radiating all over her body. "Was he okay after we……we talked?_

"_He told us we need to protect you from now on. We'll talk about that very soon. Carlisle said that you thought someone from your old school might be coming to Forks."_

"_Yes, I am nearly sure of it. He really wants to get his sick revenge on me." Kendra replied, shuddering again. She thought of something quickly, and her eyes widened. "My family!"_

"_I called your sister and told her you might be here tonight. They know what happened too and they sound so distraught. I gather they did not know the seriousness of the situation?" Alice asked, and Kendra bit her lip._

"_Nobody really did." Kendra replied, and peered around. "Where are you?"_

_She felt someone sit beside her, and take her hand. "There you are." She felt the cool skin against hers and knew that she should be scared. Terrified really. But Alice was not about fear, nor was Carlisle. They were comfort. She was still hesitant about Edward, and she was angry at herself for feeling anything towards him. "I am sorry I was rude to you at first. I was really scared."_

"_I understand. Edward sensed that you were in pain and I could see it all over your face." Alice told her, and Kendra nodded slowly. _

"_How much do you know?" Kendra asked her, her face turning red from embarrassment as she asked._

"_He didn't go into detail, but we can all see that you were hurt badly. It will not happen again, Kendra." Alice assured her, and squeezed her hand. "Are you afraid of us?"_

"_Not afraid, but maybe a little uncomfortable. I need to know you guys better." Kendra said, and she felt a person enter the dark room. Alice clicked on the television, and Kendra saw Edward sit down on the chair that Alice had been in._

"_Is this better? I always forget that not everyone can see in the dark like us." Alice apologized, and smiled at Kendra. _

"_Yeah. Thanks." Kendra said, looking at Edward for a moment. The look her gave her in return was intensely pained, and she frowned for a moment. He glanced away, and she did as well as she glanced at the television screen. She leaned back into the comfortable cushions and sighed slowly, trying to forget about the night. She would have been happy to forget her own life at that moment. "Can I ask you anything?" Kendra murmured, and she was happy when Alice responded positively. "So when do you sleep? Not during the day since I see you at school."_

"_We don't sleep at all." Alice told her, and Kendra stared at her. "We really don't need it with the whole absence of growth after we are changed."_

"_Is anything else true that I have read or seen? It has always been so fictional up until now." Kendra said, and shook her head._

"_Well, one thing is. We avoid the sunlight, though not due to it injuring us. It just makes it much more obvious that we are not human. Garlic does not bother us, coffins are not a part of our lives, and we don't turn into bats and fly. We just run really fast and jump very well." Alice giggled as she told Kendra that, and Kendra could not help but join in with the musical sound. She could tell that Alice found enjoyment in it, but she saw distaste when she glanced at Edward. He met Kendra's eyes and she saw hesitation in them._

"_You won't run and tell your sister about all of this?" His voice was quiet and serious, and she stared at him. _

"_I tell her very little. Your father knows more then Heidi does now." Kendra told him, and he raised his eyebrows. "We are really not that close. She was born a year and a half after me and they always lived here. I only spent time with her when I would visit, but that became rare. So we're trying to get to know each other in abysmal circumstances right now." Kendra sighed, and looked at Alice. "How did she take your phone call?"_

"_She was very sweet and very concerned about you. They had heard from your stepfather as well, and had no idea what happened to you today." Alice assured her, and Kendra closed her eyes. "Call your mom tomorrow at the hospital, Kendra. Heidi said she'll be there for about a week, and she has police protection so you can be assured that she is safe."_

"_I know. I am pretty sure that he is headed here, but I am still not willing to make the trip there. His family disowned him, but he has friends that would put him up if he needed it. I just cannot stand that thought of……."_

"_You have nothing to be scared of/" Alice told her, putting her arm around her as she let go of Kendra's hand. "I am going to see when he comes, and he has no chance against even two of us. Emmett is happy to get involved, as is Jasper. Emmett gets so bored and loves a little action. So it should be all of us, and he will not get to you."_

"_I wish that I could be that confident." Kendra murmured, and leaned against the pixie. "He is a monster."_

"_What is his name?" Edward asked her softly, and she sat silent for a long time._

"_It's……. David." Kendra said, realizing how much saying the name pained her. She felt a tear slide down her cheek and shuddered as a memory flashed through her head. Alice stroked her hair and she took a deep breath. _

"_Did you look the same there?" Alice asked her quietly, and Kendra tried to calm down as she felt a rush of tears. _

"_No, I was blond there. I did this when I got here." Kendra replied, and laughed without humor. "Of course I know how much I stand out now. Maybe I should go brown instead."_

"_It's gorgeous and you won't." Alice told her, and Kendra forced a laugh again. "Calm down, Kendra. It'll be fine. Do you want to sleep more? We have a guest room upstairs and you'll be safe here." _

"_I don't want to be alone." Kendra said shakily, and Alice shared a worried glance with Edward._

"_You won't. You'll never be alone until this is over." Alice promised her, and Kendra nodded slowly. _

"_I have to go home sometime." Kendra said, wiping her eyes with one hand._

"_You don't need to be alone there either." Edward's voice was firm, and she peeked at him. His gaze was in the floor in front of him, but she saw him glance at her quickly. _

"_We'll figure it out." Alice promised her, and hugged Kendra. "Let's get some sleep for you. Come one, Kendra." She helped the crying girl to her feet and took her upstairs to a huge room that had a king sized bed in it. Kendra crawled under the covers and Alice sat by her and stroked her hair gently. _

"_Why are you doing this again?" Kendra murmured sleepily, and curled up into a ball._

"_I saw that we were going to be friends before you came." Alice told her, and Kendra smiled wanly. _

"_What else have you seen?" Kendra asked her, her curiosity keeping her awake for a moment._

"_Nothing of importance." Alice replied, but Kendra could hear that there was more in her voice. "Sleep, Kendra."_


	5. Chapter 5

I do NOT own any Twilight characters. Thanks for reading, and please review!!

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Kendra woke up with the sun peeking through pristine white curtains and she frowned. She turned onto her back and looked around for a clock desperately, realizing that she was at least a little late for school. There was none, and she figured the vampires didn't have a huge use of them or alarms. She stretched and enjoyed the comfortable bed, then she remembered it all. Her mother was in the hospital, David was probably headed here to kill her, and she…..she was waking up at the Cullen's house. Kendra sat up quickly, and the fear hit her again. It is all that she had lived with for years, and she took a deep breath as the tears came into her eyes. She hoped against hope that the Cullens would be able to help her, but she was scared to trust them too much. That had not worked well last time for her, and she had a vague fear about them….well, one of them. Kendra got out of the soft green covers, giving them bed one last lingering look. She had not slept that well in a long time. She left the room and walked slowly down the stairs, seeing the sun shining fully into the living room. Her heart sank as she saw Rosalie and Emmett cuddling on the couch, and she heard a sports announcer over the speakers of the television. "Hey. Kendra, right?" Emmett greeted her, with a warm but goofy smile on his friendly face.

"Yes. It is Kendra." She replied, catching the icy glare from the stunning blond that leaned closer to him.

"I am Emmett and this is my girl Rosalie." He grinned and glanced at the television as the voices raised, and she looked at it herself with a grin.

"It is nice to meet you. Playoffs, right? I am going for The Sharks myself." Kendra told him, and he gave her an impressed gaze. She saw Rosalie roll her eyes, and she looked down for a moment. It certainly did not help the situation for her to be the way she was. She was happy to hear Alice's cheerful voice behind her, and Kendra turned to see her tugging Jasper by the hand.

"We called the school for you. Esme thought that you could use the rest, and we know that you wanted to call your mom." Alice told her, and Kendra glanced at she sun shining in. "Well, that is our reason. I hope that you don't mind."

"No, not at all." Kendra told her, trying not to think about Rosalie sitting behind her and probably glaring at her. "I wish I had some clothes is all."

Jasper gave Alice a look, and the pixie smiled widely. "I can help you with that." Alice told her, and Kendra raised her eyebrows. "Are you hungry? I found an all night store while you were asleep and grabbed a few things."

"You did?" Kendra asked, and Alice smiled and nodded. The sound of a piano drifted down the stairs, and Kendra glanced up along with Alice.

"Edward is playing again? Wow. What inspired him?" Alice spoke as though it had been awhile. "I think he'll be helping to guard you, Kendra. Maybe you should talk or something."

"Probably." Kendra replied, and Alice gazed at her. "I will. I need to learn to take the help." She let Alice lead her to the kitchen and got a bowl of cereal, and sat down at a long table to eat it. Alice left her alone to eat, and Kendra looked around the beautiful and otherwise unused room. It was modern with light walls and dark décor, some of it appearing to be very old in age. The appliances were a dream for any cook, and Kendra shook her head as she thought about that. She finished her cereal and washed the bowl and spoon in the sink, and opened the fridge to see what there was to drink. She grabbed a Pepsi and turned to see Edward standing in the doorway to the kitchen. She gazed at his face as he looked at her, and opened it loudly.

"Good breakfast." Edward noted, smiling at the soda in her hand.

"It went well with the cocoa puffs. Your sister knows good junk food for a vampire." Kendra said, and he tilted his head.

"I always see you eat pretty healthy." Edward told her, and she saw the look that he gave her. "I would not think that you enjoyed it all that well. Didn't you sleep well?"

"I slept better than I have for quite sometime. Maybe I should move in." Kendra tried to joke, and he turned his face down but his eyes remained on her. She broke the gaze and looked down at the floor for a moment, hating the intensity in his eyes. She didn't know what to say.

"Would you like to take a walk?" Edward asked her, and she gazed up at him. "You can stop being scared of me. I do not intend to hurt you at all."

"It's not that….." Kendra told him, and her words stopped. He stepped forward and she looked at him as she shook her head.

"Come on. The sun might do you some good." Edward said, and she looked at her wrinkled clothes and set down her soda and started to follow him. She did take a deep breath as she walked into the cool air, and shivered slightly as the wind hit her at the door. Edward pulled off his jacket and put it over her shoulders, and she looked up at him.

"Thanks." She slid the arms into the sleeves and they walked quietly across the grass towards the river. She was actually glad that she had slept in shoes for once. She looked at him, and her feet stopped suddenly. "You're…..sparkling."

"It is what we do in the sun. It is why we avoid going out in it." Edward told her, and she stared at the dazzling array of what looked like tiny diamonds on the skin of his face and neck. She didn't realize that she had reached out to touch him until her took her hand in his cool one. He looked at her as their skin touched, and she gasped as she remembered something. She tired to pull away, but he held it.

"I have touched your hand before. That was you that night?" Kendra asked him, and he glanced down and nodded. "Why then?"

"Your pain was so bad when I first picked it up. It really bothered me, so I came to watch you sleep that night. Your dream must have been horrible the way you were writhing around. I could not help but comfort you, Kendra." Edward explained, stroking her hand with her thumb. "Now that I know more about it, I want to protect you. Nobody deserves that in their life….." His eyes grew serious, and she looked away.

"You know more than the others." Kendra stated, and he pulled her along slowly.

"I didn't want to read my father's thoughts after he spent that time with you, but I could not help it. It gave the vague emotions some reality, although it was a bit worse than I wanted it to be." Edward said to her, and she kept her eyes to the ground. "I have a feeling you skipped the worst parts as well. How do you get up day after day, Kendra?" Edward asked her, and she shrugged.

"I don't always get up. Remember my first week here?" Kendra asked him, and looked up. He nodded quietly, and his eyes flicked to her for a second.

"Alice thought that you were leaving." Edward said bluntly, and Kendra frowned. "She saw you doing that. Is that in your mind, Kendra?" He stopped her from speaking with his finger against her lip, and gazed into her eyes. "Don't. We are going to keep you safe, I promise you that."

Kendra turned her head to get his hand off her face, and he dropped it as he clenched his fist. "Sorry. I just get…..funny sometimes."

"I'm sorry. I should think a little more about your comfort level." Edward told her softly, and she laughed.

"Do I have one of those?" Kendra asked, and he glanced down at her hand in his.

"Does this bother you?" Edward asked her, and she looked at their hands as well.

"It is comforting, but there is a part of me that is struggling with it. I have avoided contact entirely for….months. It does not lead to anything good." Kendra said, and he gazed at her. "You must know you come off as a bit of an intense guy."

"It is part of reading the thoughts." Edward admitted, and she nodded. "It is never ending and exhausting mentally. Not that I sleep as a result, but it makes me unable to really relax. I just try and ignore them as I need to." He gazed at her with a pained expression. "Then there was you. Your pain came out so strongly, but I could not figure out why. Then Alice had seen you coming as well, and she got caught up in the vision if you as being good friends. She was involved so quickly, and is happy knowing you. She can see him coming, you know. We'll have warning, and we'll handle it." His eyes darkened heavily, and she looked up at him. He seemed lost in thought, and he shook his head as he gazed at her. "There is something else with you, Kendra. Some vague part of your emotions or thoughts that I am not clear on." He stared at her with a demanding gaze. "What more is there?"

"Nothing. Nothing." Kendra replied, yanking her hand away. She walked away from him and frowned as tears filled her eyes.

"If it helps us help you, I need to know." Edward told her, suddenly by her side. She gazed up in shock, and he took her shoulders in his hands. He was a few feet taller than she was, and it was easy for him to hold her still with his strength. She felt the tears slide down her cheeks, and his eyes warmed to a deep amber as he stared at her. "You're hurting so much inside. What were you like before all of this?"

"How did you……..where…." Kendra asked him, shaking her head. She wiped at her eyes, and took a deep breath.

"I'm fast, Kendra. Hence the reason you are safe." Edward explained to her, and she closed her eyes. "I wish that I could make this all better for you. Maybe I can when I get my hands on him." He took one hand and stroked her cheek gently. "But you need to heal."

Kendra pulled away and looked down. His touch made her tremble, and he dropped his hand off her shoulder. ""I will. Someday." Part of her wanted to let him hold her and comfort her, because she was drawn to him. Part of her wanted to run away screaming and leave Forks forever. Alice's vision entered her head, and she shook her head. Would it be better if nobody knew where she was? Edward tried to figure out what she was thinking, and she met his curious gaze.

"Let's go back and you can call your mother." Edward told her after a long moment, and she nodded.

"What was your mother like? I mean, I do not know how old you are really, but you must remember something."

"I was turned in 1918, but I do remember her vaguely. She was warm and loving, and she died before me of the Spanish Influenza. From what Carlisle says, she seemed to know what he was and wanted him to save me. She had green eyes and my color hair, and I looked more like her than I did my father. We were very close, her and I." Edward shook his head, and she looked up at him as she tried to picture the green eyes. "Esme was turned after I was, and her warmth reminded me a lot of my own mother. She has always embraced the role of our mother very well. I sense that you were reminded of your own mother when you met her." Edward suggested, gazing at her as they walked back to the house.

"I was." Kendra replied, worry setting on over her mother. "What if he gets back to her, Edward? He would kill her if he felt the need to, and I am not there."

"Carlisle made a few calls and she is under police protection. He has made a lot of friends over the years, and people help his friends." Edward told her, and she felt her legs giving out. He caught her and pulled her up, wrapping his arms around her as he did to hold her steady. "Do you believe in us now?"

Kendra called her mother when she got back to the house, crying through the entire call. Her mother assured her that she would be safe and that she would recover, but Kendra could not shake her guilt. She apologized for not coming to see her and told her a little about her new friends as she calmed her tears She sat on the floor of the Cullen's kitchen as she talked for an hour, and ended the call with a tearful I love you to her mother. She remained on the floor after she hung up, and watched the clouds move across the sky through the window. She saw someone pass by her, and she looked up to see Alice. "Are you okay?" Alice asked her, kneeling down to look into her face.

"What now?" Kendra asked, and Alice sat cross legged with her on the floor.

"Do we have to talk about this in here when there is a perfectly good couch in the living room?" Emmett walked in, and the girls looked up. He pulled them up and they all went into the larger room, though Kendra had felt better where she was.

"Do you want to go back home?" Alice asked her, and Kendra looked at her with a frown. "You could stay here. You know that."

"I have to go home to my family. They're probably freaking out as it is." Kendra shivered, and gazed forward. "I don't know if I'll sleep alone in that room. I don't feel that safe."

"You do not need to be alone." Edward reminded her, and she looked up at him as he came down the stairs. "I'll be there if it makes you more comfortable, and your family won't know. "

Kendra looked at Alice and Alice smiled reassuringly at her. "You'll just sit there all night while I sleep? How boring."

"Necessary if it makes you feel better. We can talk when you're not sleeping. It would be a little later after they are sleeping for the night." Edward told her, and she took a deep breath. "It would be easier that way in case he gets in the house before us."

"What do we tell my family if this all goes down?" Kendra asked, and she saw the gleam in Edward's eyes.

"They will not hear a thing if I can help it." Edward replied, and Alice nodded.

"He's the fastest out of us," Alice confirmed, and Kendra stared at them. "I will be watching for David to come, and Emmett will be waiting to help if he can in any way."

"Stay here as you can." Esme suggested, as she walked into the room holding hands with Carlisle. "It would not be unusual on weekends to stay at your close friend's house." She smiled at Alice, and Kendra glanced at her. She kind of wished it were Alice that were keeping her company, and she saw the way that Jasper leaned into her on the couch and whispered to her. That would be why. She needed time with him, and Edward seemed to be single. Looking at him, Kendra found it hard to imagine. He was fiercely intense, but very easy on the eyes and someone that was not Kendra could find the intensity very sexy. She found it a little scary, but it would only be until David came and was dealt with. The plan was made and Alice took Kendra up for some clothes so she could take a shower and change into something fresh. Kendra enjoyed the shower and the products that Alice provided , and pulled on the soft tee shirt and leggings that were handed to her happily. She brushed out her straight hair, and wandered down the hallway to the sound of the piano. Edward was sitting and playing it, and she stood in the doorway until her turned around to look curiously at her.

"You play really beautifully." Kendra told him honestly, and he nodded his thanks. She leaned against the door and a question came into her mind. She walked closer, not knowing why since she even knew that vampires had excellent hearing. "I have a question for you before all of this begins, Edward."

"What would that be?"

"Is there any chance that you will be tempted to be a vampire around me?" Kendra asked him, and her eyes met his. "Am I safe to sleep in your presence?"

"You have been before. You are probably a bit more tempting than the average human, but I have been living the way I do for some time." Edward admitted, and she raised an eyebrow. "Is that an invitation to sneak in tonight?"


	6. Chapter 6

_I do not own any of the Twilight characters, just my own. Read and please review…..I love the feedback!! __J_

_Kendra returned home that afternoon, nervous and scared to be alone. Though she felt a little odd at The Cullens, she had felt like she had company and safety all around her. She ate a light dinner with her family, answering the questions that Heidi had for her about her stay there as best she could. "How did you end up there again?" Heidi asked, and her father looked interested as well._

"_I got the call at school about mom, and kind of fainted I am told. They took me to their house to see their father, and I was a mess. I needed to rest badly, so they offered me a guest room. It was not my idea to miss school, I promise. Alice and Esme knew how tired I was and how emotional I had been the day before, and they called for me." Kendra replied slowly, the evening flashing through her mind again._

"_They are good people for doing that. I appreciate that somebody was there for you." Her father's voice was quiet, as he gazed at his plate. His face was strained and worried. "I cannot believe that he got to your mother like that. Now we need to worry about him coming here for you. Kendra, I do not want anything else to happen to you."_

"_I know, Dad." Kendra said, knowing she could not hide her fear. "I will be careful, and never be alone. You guys are here at night and I have people around me at school. I will always lock my window and the door, and always be watching out. I will call the police if I see any sign of him." Kendra babbled, knowing that she could not tell them her real protection plan. "It'll be OK."_

"_I will kill him myself." James told her, and she stared at him. "I want to anyway for making you live the way you have been. I feel so helpless when I cannot help you." His eyes filled with brief tears, and he blinked and looked away from her._

"_Daddy, I'm sorry. I wish that I was not doing this to you." Kendra felt tears sliding down her cheeks, and Heidi covered her face as she watched. _

"_You're not. He is. He destroyed my happy little girl." James said, and Kendra felt Heidi take her hand. _

"_We'll all be fine." Kendra said, blindly hugging her father. "It has to be." Heidi joined them, and they cleaned up after a long embrace and watched some television together. It got late, and Kendra glanced up the stairs nervously. She bit her lip, and knew that she needed to sleep. She wished her family good night with long hugs and slowly walked up the long staircase. Kendra opened her door quietly, and slowly looked around as she walked in. She jumped when she saw him, sitting in her chair as he read one of her books. "Edward." Kendra whispered, and he looked at her face. _

"_Bad night?" His voice was very soft, and she nodded as tears filled her eyes. He set down the book and stood up to approach her, and she let him hug her. _

"_My dad cried down there at dinner. He cried because he feels helpless, and I cannot tell him that I have the help you guys are giving me." Kendra whispered, and slid her arms around his waist. _

"_Whatever happens, he will know that David is not a threat. We will find a way to explain any outcome." Edward told her, stroking her hair with his hand. _

"_He wants to kill him."_

"_I think that is not a bad idea. He tried to destroy you, Kendra." Edward's voice took on a strange pain, and she felt him tighten his hold in her hair. "He took your innocence and your trust, and he needs to die for that."_

"_Edward." Kendra whispered again, and he stroked her hair with a softer hand. "Why do you care so much?"_

"_I want to see you stop hurting so much. I want to see you become my sister's best friend and laugh with her, deal with her shopping trips, and just be the young girl that you deserve to be. I want to……" Edward's voice drifted off, and she felt her breath catch in throat. "Someday."_

_She became aware of his arms around her and her body being held close to his. She knew his skin was cold, but it somehow felt hot as she touched the button up shirt that he wore with the tips of her fingers. The warmth turned cold, and she shuddered in fear. He pulled away from her, and gazed into her eyes as he held her face in his hands. "Edward." Kendra began to struggle, and he shook his head as his eyes grew sad. "I can't….." Kendra pulled away and went to get some sweat shorts and a tee shirt to sleep in, and left the room. She washed her face, brushed her teeth and hair, and stared into the mirror for a long moment. It had felt good to be held for a fleeting moment, but she was so scared to want him to hold her the way that she did. He could do what David had done, and worse he hurt her easier and quicker. The emotion in his eyes never suggested that he wanted to hurt her, but that he wanted to make her life better again. Was that possible? She shook her head and walked back to her room, not looking up. He was in the chair again, and she turned on her Ipod in the docking station quietly and sat on her bed as she sighed. "I am sorry. I am so scared just of being touched."_

"_I know, Kendra. I want to comfort you, but I know that it is hard for you right now." Edward's silken voice was sincere, and she looked into his breaking face. He was so beautiful, and she wished for any other circumstance at that moment. She wished……..oh, she wished. "Let's talk of happier things."_

_Kendra curled up under her covers, and they talked of her mother and her happy times living with her. They spoke about Kendra's childhood and her silly sports and dance classes and her friends. She asked him about the schools that he had attended, and his favorite subjects and books. Edward remained in the chair, and his excellent allowed him to hear her every whisper. She closed her eyes and finally drifted off to sleep, and he whispered a quiet good night to her. This was the case every night, where they would talk and he would stay away from her in the chair as she lay in bed alone. A couple of weeks passed, and she started spending more and more nights with The Cullens on the weekends. It killed Kendra to see how left out her sister felt, and it got worse as she spent more and more time with Alice and the family. Kendra found her family to be worse for her at this moment, and the Cullens were positive, if not almost looking forward to dealing with him. She felt safe with them and slightly happier. Not totally happier, but Alice's cheerful nature was a relief to her and Esme's warmth was comforting. The talks with Edward were fast becoming the strength that she relied upon, since he kept her away from the subject that she feared the most. Still, she lived her life on guard and perhaps that is why she liked the night the best. He was always there making sure that she was safe. _

_One afternoon on a sunny weekend, he ran her up the mountains to a beautiful creek. He ran so fast that she could not breath as she wrapped her arms around his neck and his hands gripped her legs as he carried her. Jasper and Alice were out, and the friends has some time alone. Kendra laughed out loud as she was whisked through the air, and kept laughing as he set her down. He smiled at her with relief and she smiled back. He had a great smile, and it was not something she had seen a lot of. She didn't think about it as she reached out to touch his perfect lips, and her heart froze as he took her hand gently. "Edward, I'm sorry." Kendra stammered, and he shook his head. He kissed her hand lightly, and she felt her heart pounding as she stared into his amber eyes that radiated a longing that she understood all too well. He dropped her hand and took her face into his hands slowly, and she widened her eyes. "I'm scared." Kendra whispered, and he smiled comfortingly at her._

"_I won't ever hurt you, Kendra. Never." Edward assured her, and she sucked in her breath as he moved closer to her. He let his lips brush hers softly, and she whimpered softly. He kissed her a little harder the second pass, and she found her hands sliding around his back as she pressed herself into him. He was gentle as he caressed her lips with his, and she never wanted the cool contact to stop as she gripped his tee shirt in her hands. When she took the kiss a step further, he turned his head and seemed to choke. "You are very alluring."_

"_You don't like it?" Kendra asked, her breath shallow and ragged. _

"_I like it very much. I always knew that I would." Edward assured her, his eyes darkening as he met her gaze. "I need to be careful with you, love. You have been through so much and you're not ready for too much too fast. I need to remember to….hold back with you, partially for the same reasons and due to my strength as well. You're so delicate." _

"_Love?" Kendra repeated, and he kissed her again, covering her lips completely with his. She slid her hands under his shirt, and they both jumped. "Oh, god. I am doing this when I know I need to be careful too. You're so stunning and I…..I want you. But I am scared as well."_

"_I know." Edward told her, and dropped his hands from her face. He took her hand tightly in his, in the way a lover only would. He pulled her to the creek and they walked along, quietly touching and marveling at it. He stared at her with a new understanding, and he kissed her again softly before taking her back to the house. He walked in holding her hand again, and Alice squealed from the couch. _

"_I knew it! I saw this coming. You guys are finally together." Her voice was a happy, and he gazed at Kendra for a long moment._

"_I suppose we just might be something like that." Edward agreed, and she blushed as she looked at him. His face was happy as he gazed back at her, and she felt breathless. He had always been beautiful, but like this he was more. He was glowing as he gazed at her with the bliss that she was feeling, though the fear of moving too fast was present in her mind. He took her to dinner that night alone, sitting close to her in the booth as she ate her ravioli and sliding his arm over her back gently. He watched her every movement as if she was doing something so new, and she looked at him with a nervous smile. _

"_I feel like a science experiment of yours, Edward." Kendra told him, and he leaned down to kiss her cheek gently. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, and he was smiling at her when she opened them. "Do you want to……want to bite me? Drink from me? Right now?"_

"_I realize that you would taste delicious, but I am not willing to harm you to find out." Edward promised her, leaning into her neck and inhaling deeply. "You smell so good. It is the first thing I noticed when you bumped into me that first day, and it was so intoxicating that I had trouble standing. I did not want to rip your throat out right then and there, though there was a hunger. I just was overwhelmed by it. I yearned to know what it was about you, and that was when I tried to read your thoughts. The pain was quite a different thing from the exhilaration of your scent. It haunted me and I longed to know what it was. I became obsessed with it, Kendra, and it didn't help how Alice felt about you so quickly." He pulled back and stroked her hair gently. "I still feel that you're hiding something. What is it?"_

_She tried to distract him with a kiss, and he leaned over her closely for a long moment. She took in the taste of his lips, the heat flowing between them, and the warmth her body was feeling until he pulled away. Kendra could not breathe and she leaned into his arms. "You make me forget how to breathe."_

"_Good thing I don't have to." Edward murmured, and she gazed at him. His eyes were deeply curious. "Tell me, Kendra. Trust me to tell me what it is."_

"_I don't want to lose you, Edward." Kendra whispered, and he brushed her lips with his. She gasped, and he stroked her neck with cool fingers. _

"_It's too late for that to happen." Edward told her, and she stared into his intensely amber eyes. He took her home and kissed her as he promised to see her later, and she stumbled to the door. Heidi was doing homework as she watched a hockey game, and she glanced up._

"_Hey, Ken." Heidi looked back at her homework, and the strain on her face was obvious. She used to be so happy and beautiful. _

"_Hi." Kendra said, and Heidi looked at her again. _

"_You look….so happy." Heidi said, and Kendra blushed as she looked down. "What is it?"_

"_I…..ah…..I seem to be going out with Edward Cullen very suddenly." Kendra admitted, and Heidi covered her mouth with shock. "It is a very slow thing, but it is something. I like this something."_

"_Oh, wow. Jess is going to detest you now. He's so gorgeous, but he seems to really care about your well being right now. Are you in love?" Heidi asked, and Kendra choked._

"_Wow. I need to be so far past this before I can even say that. I will say that I am…..error…..smitten." Kendra admitted, and sat down to watch the game with her. "I love his sister. That I will say." Alice had been to her house several times, and both her father and stepsister were smitten with Alice in their own ways. You could not help but find her warmth refreshing, and want her around to spread it. Their home was a better place, and now Edward would be more a part of that. They didn't see what was going on underneath the friendship, and now the dating. Kendra just wanted to be free from David and move on with whatever her life had to offer, and she hoped that it was Edward. She went upstairs and got ready for bed, wearing a tank top and sweat shorts to bed. She brushed her teeth and hair, and took an extra moment with it. She walked quietly into her room, and found him stretched out on her bed as he met her gaze. "Oh, god. You….ah….you look great." _

"_Do I?" Edward asked her, and raised an eyebrow. He combed her body slowly with his burning eyes, and she held onto the doorknob of her closed bedroom door. "You look good too, Kendra. I always found you beautiful." They talked in low voices and whispers as always, and his brushed down her skin as she shivered. _

"_Holy Jesus." Kendra breathed, and he grinned at her with his charming smile. _

"_I'm sorry, love. You would take my breath away as well, if I had any." He sat up and patted the bed next to him, and she turned on her Ipod as always. It had led to many good conversations in the past few weeks, and she squeezed into his arms as he pulled her close. His cool temperature caught her by surprise for a second, but she closed her eyes and took in the feeling of him stroking her bare arm. He buried his face into her longer hair and inhaled, and she turned her head to find his lips in the dimly lit room. He pulled her closer to him in a tighter grip, and she lost herself in his lips. He kissed her deeper, and one of his hands drifted to her bare leg. He started to slide his hand up her thigh, and she took a deep breath as he pulled away. "I think this may be a better job for Alice at this stage. I am going to want you more and more every night." He pressed his hand over her neck and upper chest, and felt her heart beating. "I can feel that you want me too."_

"_I do." Kendra whispered, and he let his hand drift down to her leg again. She breathed deeply, and he kissed her again. His tongue teased her lower lip, and she opened her mouth to allow him to kiss her deeper. He moaned as she pressed into him, and he slid his hands around her ass as she moved over him. Kendra was fighting her heart that said that she was too scared for this, and her body that wanted him more than anything at that time. It was only when he started to slide her tank top up that she froze, and he met her eyes with a curious gaze. His hands stroked her stomach and he felt it. He felt her secret. _


	7. Chapter 7

I do not own any of the Twilight characters, just my own!! Thanks for the added alerts and the reviews for this….I really do appreciate it. Probably well past the point that would be healthy, but that is another matter.

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Kendra froze as he stared at her with curious eyes, and all of her desire was replaced with sheer terror as she stared back at him. "Kendra, what is this?" Edward asked, as his fingers traced the jagged scars on her lower stomach gently.

"Stop." Kendra begged in a whisper, pushing off of him and turning her back to him as she pulled her knees to her chest. She felt the tears sliding down her cheeks, and she sobbed quietly as she rested her head on her knees.

"Kendra, what's wrong? What is it?" Edward slid a hand over her shoulders, and she fought to breath. She could not answer, and he moved in front of her in one motion to look into her face. She glimpsed the pain in his beautiful face and she closed her eyes. "Did…..he do that to you as well as……."

Kendra was stunned as she looked into his face. She realized that he must have no idea about what had happened. "Edward, no. I…..I did that to myself." Kendra whispered hoarsely, and his eyes narrowed as he looked at her.

"Why would you do that?" He spoke low but his voice was demanding as he took her hands, and she pulled away. "Why would you hurt yourself like that?" He looked as though he would cry, but didn't, and he moved next to her on the bed to put his arms around her. She struggled in his embrace, but he held her tightly. "Kendra, please talk to me." She tried to think about what would sound the best, or make the most sense. It was a hard thing to explain to somebody for the first time, and especially for her because she was trying to avoid the details of her experience. Her silence dragged on ,and he forced his head up to meet his gaze. His eyes were burning through her, and she blinked her tear filled eyes. "Talk to me. You're killing me right now."

"I……when he threatened to kill my family if I told them how he was, I had nobody to talk to. I felt so guilty about being responsible for their life or death and I searched for a way to deal with the emotional and physical pain. I was losing it and I needed to keep fooling everybody. One night, after something bad happened….I went into the bathroom and found a loose razor blade in my bathroom. It was connected to my room and nobody ever checked on me. I found a place that you would not see on a day to day basis, though my mind was too fuzzy to realize that it really was not that discreet. That first cut hurt so badly, but somehow my pain became free within it. I felt like I could carry on with my lie, if only for a moment. When things got really bad, I would hide in my bathroom and just cut my skin. I became addicted to the feeling, and he…..he encouraged me to hurt myself. Of course he saw it, and he would ask to watch me do it, and he never cared that it hurt me. I knew it was a problem, and when he finally left me that day in the house I told myself never to do it again. I have lost my willpower a few times, but now I have stopped. I moved her and found you and Alice, and I have my family. I don't want to cut myself anymore." She cried softly, as he stroked her hair. "I wish I could take it all back, Edward. I wish that I was a better person for you."

"You are not a bad person, Kendra. I hope he comes when I am with you, because I look forward to ripping him apart for all that he has done to you. I am going to make you better, Kendra." He kissed her hair and stroked it as he held her, and she cried slowly. "I want Carlisle to look at you tomorrow and make sure that you will be alright. Please, Kendra. I know that you are scared, but he can help you through this as well."

"They saw it at the hospital after I was……they said it was going to heal. I lied and made them believe that I was going to go for help, but then I came here." Kendra told him, but he looked into her eyes as he held her face in his hands.

"Still, I want him to take a look." He shook his head as his eyes saddened, and she tried to look away. "You could have told me, Kendra. You can trust me."

"I was hoping I could avoid it." Kendra told him quietly, and he closed his amber eyes painfully. "I didn't know that you would want to be with me. I don't even know if you still want to."

"I do. I do so much." Edward told her after a pause, and she breathed deeply. "I……I want you to get through this and then you'll really know how much." He held her as she calmed down, and then curled up with her in her full size bed. He wrapped his arms around her waist and inhaled the scent of her hair as he slowly kissed her head. She fell asleep in his arms, sleeping fitfully and dreaming constantly. He comforted her every time she woke up and would hold her tightly until she would fall asleep again. Kendra clung to him tightly as he would settle her, and jumped in the morning when she woke up alone. She felt tired and weak, and she got up to take a shower and pull on the nearest jeans and tee shirt that she could find. She yanked her hair into a ponytail and pulled on her shoes and a hoodie, glancing at the overcast but dry sky outside. She got into the car with Heidi, who looked at her questioningly and Kendra smiled weakly.

"I had insomnia." Kendra told her, and Heidi sighed as they pulled into the parking lot. Kendra saw the Cullens by their cars, and she saw the stricken look on Alice's face as she hurried over. Edward gazed at her with concerned eyes, and she met his gaze steadily as Heidi parked.

"He is a good reason to have insomnia." Heidi told her dreamily, and Kendra nodded slowly and absently.

"Kendra. Hi!" Alice greeted her, and smiled at Heidi too quickly. "Heidi. How are you? I need to steal your sister for a moment." She took Kendra's hand and walked her across the lot to Edward, and started talking low and fast right away. "I am so sorry, Kendra. I saw it happening right as he got there, and I wish I could have warned you." Alice's eyes rested on her covered flat stomach, and Kendra covered it self consciously with her own hands. "I don't know…..how anybody could be okay with that. I don't know how he didn't care for you enough to stop it."

"Kendra." She looked up uncertainly as she heard his voice, and he was right in front of her. She stared at him, searching his eyes for any sign of the good part of last night and she smiled in relief when she saw a glint of it. He took her hand and leaned down to kiss her cheek with lingering lips.

"It won't happen anymore. I have you guys now." Kendra assured them in a low voice, and they both stared at her. The siblings trailed them, and Alice fell back into Jasper's arms as she looked down with pained eyes. Kendra was walking beside Edward, and she was lost to the looks that they were getting in the hallways as he clung to her hand tightly. She only saw him, and she begged him silently to still care for her. At her first class, he took her face into his hands and pressed his lips to hers gently but she felt his emotion in the contact. She closed her eyes and savored the moment, knowing that any kiss could be her last with him. She went into her class breathlessly, looking down to avoid any looks that she received as she sat down. Kendra took notes as she halfway listened to the teacher, and her mind relayed last night over and over. She ached as she remembered the desire that she had been feeling towards him, and the harsh reality of his touching her scars made her eyes sting with tears. She felt like they would never have that moment again, and her day dragged slower and slower as she shuffled between classes. At lunch, he met her at the door and got her some food in line before he led her to their table. She greeted Alice and happily settled into his arms as he held her close. She chatted with Emmett and Jasper a little bit, but Rosalie seemed to want to ignore her still. Kendra walked to math with Alice after the guys had kissed them goodbye, and the girls walked quietly.

"He is not going to leave you. I can see that you're worried, but I can see you guys in the future and you end up happy." Alice assured her quietly as they approached the door, and Kendra nodded.

"He was so shocked, Alice. I could not stand the look in his eyes." Kendra said, and they sat down.

"He's taken in so much already, and it hurt him to know about it." Alice told her, stopping the conversation as the room started to fill up. The girls followed along with the class, and thanks to the Cullens, Kendra was caught back up in school. It had been rough with everything going on, but they had worked on her catch up work staunchly with her. The class ended and Edward met them out front, squeezing Kendra's hand before she went to gym. He told her that he wanted to take her to his house, and her eyes met his for a long moment. She touched his lips with her fingertip, and he looked intently at her. She faltered all the way through volleyball and was almost happy to go to the house. Edward met her outside of the locker room, and securely held her hand as they walked to the car. She saw Heidi and pointed to him and waved, and her sister smiled at her with a wistful look in her eyes. Kendra got into Edward's car as he opened her door, and Alice popped into the back seat quickly. They drove quietly to the house, as Kendra stared at Edward and he stroked her hand with his thumb. They pulled into the driveway sooner than she had hoped, and she sighed as he opened her door. He pulled her out by the hand, and she felt her legs trembling as she stood up.

"He will help you, Kendra." Edward assured her, and she took a desperate breath as the other car pulled in next to them. The other three got out and Kendra felt a rush of calm flowing around her, and she looked around quickly. Jasper met her eyes and smiled slowly, and she gazed at him curiously. Alice melted into his arms and looked at Kendra with a warm smile as they all walked into the house. Edward saw the exchange and squeezed her hand. "That's Jasper's talent, and he had been trying to use it on your for a long time. It is such a relief to see that it finally works, Kendra."

Carlisle and Esme were sitting on the couch, and they glanced up at the group walking through the door. Carlisle met Kendra's stricken eyes, and smiled warmly. She accepted Esme's offer of a water, and smiled her thanks when she took it. "You look so tired, Kendra." She stroked the girl's cheek before hugging her, and Kendra closed her eyes. She had spoken to her own other several times and was pleased with her recovery and state of mind, but she missed her so much despite the good news. She still carried the guilt of her injuries.

"I am." Kendra admitted, and Esme looked worriedly at Carlisle. "It's OK. I can handle this." She took a large sip of the water and closed her eyes, feeling Edward's hand on her lower back.

"Do you want me to go in with you?" Esme asked her, and Kendra stared at the warmth radiating from her eyes.

"That would be nice." Kendra told her, and she heard someone sigh and leave the room. She noticed Rosalie's absence as she looked around, and Esme took her hand as they walked into the office with Carlisle. "Why does she hate me so much?" Kendra whispered, knowing that she could hear her anyway.

"Rosalie is worried about getting found out. She is fearful of your contact with this family, and perhaps Edward." Esme told her, and Kendra frowned. "She will come around." Kendra looked at Carlisle as she walked in the door, and he held a clean white towel in his hands.

"I am not sure of your comfort level with me, and I was going to suggest laying this over your lap. I don't want to make you feel bad with this, anymore than you already might." Carlisle told her, and she met his eyes as she realized that Edward must have told him a lot.

"I am sorry, Carlisle. I did not mean to make you get involved in all of this." Kendra said tearfully, and he touched her shoulder.

"Don't say that." He left the room and she removed her jeans and lay back on the couch as she covered her lower stomach and legs. Esme sat next to her and stroked her hair, calling to Carlisle. He came back in and took a seat next to her, and she closed her eyes as the tears slid down her cheeks. He felt along her scars and asked her if she was in any pain, and she shook her head from time to time in response. When he was done after what seemed like hours, she opened her eyes and he was gazing sadly at her. "I don't understand how a man that is supposed to care for someone could let this happen. Thankfully, they seem to have healed as good as can be expected and I do not see any that are too fresh." He gazed at the wall for a moment, and she blinked her eyes. "I am worried a bit for the future. I know from Edward that you have not done this recently, nor do you want to. My concern is that you might regress should anything happen as far as losing any stability, and I would like to refer to a friend of mine so you can heal properly."

"What are you saying, Carlisle?" Esme asked him, and Kendra looked up at her.

"Edward is very taken with you, Kendra. I know how he feels about this whole situation, and I know how he would feel if anything else happened to you. I fear that if anything were to happen between you two, and you regressed somehow, that he would carry the guilt for it. I have hated to see him suffer when he first met you, and I can't see him suffer needlessly if you two end up not working out. The odds are somewhat stacked against you for obvious reasons, and I am concerned for both of you and your well being."

"Do you not want me to be with him?" Kendra asked, her voice cracking at the idea of his disapproval.

"We are all very pleased to see that he might be close to loving somebody again. It has been some time, and it didn't end well last time. So that is not what I am saying, but there are certain obstacles that you may face. I am slightly concerned that he became aware of this so quickly." Carlisle said gently, and she understood the level of imtimacy that he was getting at She blushed and glanced away, and Esme contained a small smile. "Will you see my colleague as your therapist, Kendra? He is very good and easy to communicate with."

"I will. I need to regardless of my involvement with Edward or not. Can I keep it from my family? They have no idea about any of this." Kendra asked, and he nodded gently. He finished up and left the room so that she could put her jeans back on, and he and Edward went in alone afterwards. Kendra sipped her water and chatted with Alice on the couch as her mind raced, and finally he came out to take her home for dinner with her family. The drive was quiet, and she didn't want to pry. He dropped her off and kissed her cheek, promising to return later.

"Eat something and relax, love. I'll be back after dark." Edward told her, and she stared into his emotional amber eyes for a long moment.

"Will you?" Kendra asked, as the day hit her and she felt herself shutting down slowly. She leaned back against the seat, and he leaned forward to brush her lips lightly with his.

"Promise." Edward's voice was a whisper, and she shivered as her mind raced. She got out of the car reluctantly, wondering if he would have second thoughts now. She shuddered at the shame the night and day had provided her, and crossed her arms closely together. "Promise." Edward's simple word echoed through her mind over and over, and she wondered if he meant it.


	8. Chapter 8

I do not own any Twilight characters. I claim only my own. Thanks for the support on this one, guys!

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Kendra walked into her house and listened to the quiet. She felt very unsettled and decided to make dinner for a change, feeling like she needed the distraction. She prepared her homemade sauce for spaghetti, listening to her Ipod as she worked. She cooked the sausage as the sauce simmered, and she became immersed in her task as well as her thoughts. Edward's promise echoed in her ears, and the look on his face when she told him what she had done to herself haunted her mind. Why would anyone, vampire or human, want her now? She jumped when someone touched her shoulder, and found her father staring at her with concerned eyes. "Kendra?"

"Sorry, Dad. I had this playing and you scared me is all." Kendra told him, and he nodded slowly. She yanked out the headphones and set the Ipod on the counter.

"It smells wonderful in here, sweetie. Are you sure that you are up to this?" James asked her, and she nodded slowly. "I hate to ask you, but are you sure that you are up to dating Edward as well?"

Kendra wondered if the question was not actually if Edward was up to dating her at this point, but she smiled as she looked at her dad. "I think it'll be fine. We're not in any rush for anything, and it just kind of happened during this time we have been spending together. He's really sweet and not hard on the eyes either."

"I'll second that." Heidi agreed, walking in and sniffing the sauce. "That smells so good." She looked at her sister as Kendra rolled her eyes at her, and laughed. "You have shaken everything up, sis. Girls want to kill you for getting him, and guys want to be him. Our lunch table is in a frenzy. Maybe you'll be sitting with them now, I guess."

"Not always." Kendra told her, and smiled. She added the meat to the sauce and finished up the salad and bread before they sat down. "Are you comfortable with Edward being here like Alice is, Dad?"

"I guess I would like to get to know him. He is with my sweet and fragile daughter." James said, and she smiled at him. "I just hope he is careful with you. You have been through a lot, and he needs to respect that."

"Oh, he does. Actually, Carlisle suggested counseling, and I have agreed. It would not hurt to get it all out there, and I think it would help me a lot." Kendra said casually, not mentioning the real reason behind it. Her family knew about the rape, but not the real violence of it. She had not told anyone, and it was a truth that she intended to keep hiding from them.

"He knows what happened?" James asked her in surprise, and she swallowed the lump in her throat. Oops.

"They saw me faint at school. I had to tell them something, and Carlisle is really easy to talk to." Kendra assured him, scared that she was hurting him badly right then. "It was just the basics, Dad."

"The family knows? Edward knows?" James continued, and she slid her hands across the table slowly in a nervous movement. She glanced at him, and he looked tense.

"Not the whole family, obviously. I have talked at Alice some, and you guys know how nice she is. It is unavoidable. Edward knows a little as well. Carlisle is the one that suggested this colleague of his, being a doctor and all. He completely offered me the option. It was nice."

"I suppose so." James agreed quietly, and Kendra snuck a glance at Heidi. She looked hurt and as though she felt left out. Kendra bit her lip and felt like the worst person in the world. They were her _family, for God's sake. But then she knew that she was trying to protect them from the reality, knowing now how harsh it really was Edward crossed through her mind again. The wondering if he was still there for her was going to be the death of her. They thanked about her dinner after it was over, and she smiled as she took small bites. Kendra watched a little television with them before going up to take a long shower, and she stood there for several minutes letting the hot water hit her tired body. She traced the scars slowly, feeling the unevenness of her skin and she felt a tear slide down her face. She felt so ugly sometimes when she thought about it. Kendra finished and dried off, brushing her hair and teeth and pulling on a tee shirt and sweat shorts. Her room was still empty when she got in there, and she turned off the light and curled up under the covers. She turned on her music and fell asleep after a few moments that night, and she woke up to her alarm the next morning. _

_She sat up and looked around to see the room empty, and her heart dropped. She desperately searched for a sign that he had been there, but her room looked the same as it had the night before. Kendra jumped out of bed and brushed her teeth quickly, putting on some make up in her room before she got dressed. She pulled on a long tee shirt under her green one that Heidi had given her, and covered that with the new expresso pea coat that Alice had bought for her one a shopping trip. She wore her favorite jeans and converse and headed out the door with Heidi, trying not to look like she was falling apart. She sipped coffee quietly, and her eyes scanned the parking lot as they took their usual spot. The Cullens pulled up in Edward's car at the same time, and she stared at them as they got out of the car. Alice was smiling happily at Jasper, and waved her way as her and Heidi got out. Ok, so things were good there. Emmett and Rosalie got out and he smiled at her, while Rosalie gazed doubtfully at her today. Edward got out last, and she let out an audible sigh as she saw him. He wore the blue shirt that made him seem even more beautiful than he already was, and he gazed at her across the parking lot. His face was peaceful, and his eyes roamed her face easily as she stared at him. "You have it bad for this guy, Ken." Heidi told her, and Kendra glanced at her. "Look at you. You seem like you didn't think he would be here or something."_

"_We had a small disagreement, that's all. Stupid phone fight." Kendra said quickly and falsely. She felt Heidi's eyes on her, and tore her gaze away from him to glanced at her stepsister. _

"_I remember being so hopeful when I heard that you were moving here. I thought we would be close and bond the way I had always wanted." Heidi looked at the Cullens with a sad expression. "I see who you want to be close to. You even talked to them more about David than you did Dad and I."_

_Kendra stared at Heidi sadly. "I cannot hurt you by sharing it, sis. Don't you realize that? I can't even truly share it with any of them. It is not a pretty reality, and I have trouble living with it myself." She hugged Heidi tightly, and her stepsister hugged her back. "I love you, sis. I really do."_

"_I love you, Kendra." Heidi told her, and Kendra felt tears in her eyes. The sisters laughed as they both realized they were crying, and wiped their eyes. _

"_I will talk to you. I promise. I never realized how much I was hurting you and Dad this whole time. I really don't want to make him feel worse than he already does, you know? "_

"_He'll be a lot better when David is gone. Is Edward going to be a stand up guy if that day comes?" Heidi asked evenly, and Kendra glanced at her to see that her eyes were angry._

"_More than you can imagine. He has some brothers that might be along for the ride." Kendra told her, keeping it to herself that Edward could easily handle it himself. _

"_Tell them to make it count." Heidi said firmly, and Kendra nodded. The girls walked forward, and Kendra found Edward's face again. He smiled at her and she felt her heart jump at the way his eyes held hers warmly. Heidi greeted Edward and Alice with a smile, and Kendra hugged her again tightly. Edward watched as Heidi walked away and stroked Kendra's face with cool marble fingers. _

"_You two okay?" His voice was soft and concerned, and she nodded. _

"_Are we?" Kendra whispered, and he took her hand as they walked slowly inside. The rest of the Cullens were heading to their classes, and Alice blew Kendra a kiss as she danced down the hallway. _

"_Why would we not be?" Edward asked her, his face close to hers as he leaned closely to her to meet her lips lightly. _

"_You didn't come to my room last night." Kendra accused him, and he laughed lightly. _

"_Of course I did. You were actually sleeping, peacefully and beautifully. I have never seen you do that. I could not bear to wake you up, despite the fact I did want to hold you and talk to you." Edward assured her, and she felt a smile on her face. _

"_Oh. What did you do?" Kendra asked him._

"_I watched you with envy. I wish that I could sleep like that, warm and secure." Edward told her, and she looked at him with sympathy in her eyes. "I also liked it when you said my name."_

"_Um, I did?" Kendra asked, blushing. _

"_Yes, you did. You asked for me in your sleep." Edward assured her, a pleased smile on his face. "I want you to be happy, Kendra. I want you to feel…..special. Do I make you feel that way?" His amber eyes were burning into hers as they searched for an answer and she tried to catch her breath. _

"_More than you know." Kendra told him, her voice nothing more than a whisper as she had trouble speaking. "I need you." She pulled his face down to hers for a kiss as slid her arms into his tousled hair, and he groaned against her lips. The bell rang into their ears, and she jumped as he was pulling her body closer to him. "Damn it."_

"_I will find you later." Edward promised her, and she felt confident in those words as she ran to class. She invited Heidi to sit with them at lunch, and she accepted and took a seat next to her sister. Everyone was kind with the exception of Rosalie, who seemed to be seething even more. Heidi got to know the mysterious Cullens for that short time, and left with a small smile on her face as she joined her friends. Alice and Kendra planned yet another shopping trip for that afternoon, as Alice eyed Kendra's jacket with an approving smile. Kendra agreed, and asked to invite Heidi and Alice eagerly agreed. The girls shopped for a couple of hours and then the sisters headed home to make a quick meal for James. They made chicken enchilada casserole and it was on the table as he walked in, and then they went upstairs to talk and watch a movie for awhile. Heidi grew tired towards the end and went to bed, and Kendra left the movie on as she got ready for bed in the bathroom. She pulled on long tee and some small cotton shorts, and returned to her room to see Edward watching the scary movie she had been enjoying. _

"_Hi." Kendra whispered, and he grinned at her as he patted the bed next to him. "How is it that you never get caught being here?" She sat down next to him, and he rolled onto his side to face her._

"_I know they're coming long before I could ever get caught." Edward assured her, and she smiled as she looked at him. "Don't the subtitles distract you from enjoying this movie?"_

"_No. I like these creepy movies. The scary thing in the corner always makes me jump." Kendra told him, watching the original version of The Grudge with curious eyes._

"_Do I make you jump?" Edward asked her, and she met his curious gaze for a long moment._

"_Not from fear." Kendra replied, moving to rest against him unconsciously. _

"_I am part of these scary movies. Not personally, but in theory. Vampires can do bad things." Edward told her, and she nodded. "I will always try and have the best control around you. I promise that." He eyed her bare legs slowly, and his eyes deepened in the dim light. "You do….tempt me in many ways though and I falter sometimes."_

"_I trust you, Edward." Kendra said, staring into his face. He reached around and pulled her to him for a long kiss, and she memorized the feeling of his lips. She slid her arms over his chest, feeling his muscles tense up as she touched him. He gripped her head tightly as he deepened the kiss, and then pulled away suddenly. _

"_You make me……" Edward's voice trailed off and she took a deep breath. _

"_Same here." Kendra agreed softly, and they stared at each other for a moment. She slid down to where she was laying beside him, and he slid an arm around her. She closed her eyes and he stroked her hair gently as she relaxed beside him. "Do you hate me for being so…..reluctant?"_

"_I am much the same way, love. I can hurt you when we are together and I don't want that." Edward kissed her forehead, and she sighed._

"_Are we hopeless?" Kendra asked, almost not as a real question._

"_No. We just need time to sort it all out. I have a lot of that to offer." Edward assured her, and she laughed softly. She slid an arm around him securely and let him soothe her to sleep as her heart stopped pounding slowly. _


	9. Chapter 9

I do not own any of the Twilight characters, just my own lovable ones. Enjoy and give me your thoughts, if you ever so kindly could! Warning…..this does get a bit more mature than the book series to some, perhaps? Just to let you know before you continue.

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Kendra let Edward drive her to her first appointment , sitting nervously in the passenger seat. He had insisted so that she would have some support before and after, and she actually was glad that she had let him after protesting a little. They pulled into the complex, and she stared at the two story brick building with anxious eyes. "He is going to think I am a freak."

"Not at all. He talks to a lot of people about a lot of things." Edward assured her, taking her hand as he shut the car off. "Carlisle told me that this is not all that uncommon, though you know how much it shocked me. The idea of you not wanting to talk to anyone saddens me, Kendra. Please don't feel that way towards me."

"I will try." Kendra said, and met his curious gaze. "I got used to hiding stuff. That is why I am nervous about this. I know I need to be completely honest for it to help me at all."

"I am proud of you for coming, love." Edward told her, and she tilted her head as her eyes roved his face slowly. "It is a big step."

"Your father…." Kendra glanced at him with a smile. "He has such a way of reassuring a person. He is the perfect person to be a doctor."

"I agree. Though it does not hurt that he likes you." Edward told her, and she looked at him as if she had a question. "What is it?"

"He does not have a problem with you being what you are and me being what I am?"

"Not immediately. Any issues with that can be dealt with down the line." Edward assured her, and she leaned towards him a little. He met her lips lightly and she slid her hand around his neck and into his hair and started to lose her breath. He pulled away with burning eyes, and she sighed.

"So, do you like me?" Kendra asked him, a teasing smile on her face.

"Like?" Edward murmured, kissing her again and slightly harder. "What do you think?" Edward murmured against her lips as he covered them again with his. He reluctantly pulled away again and glanced at the clock. "You had better get in there. Want me to wait in the office or out here for you?"

"Oh I need you inside. I need to faint somewhere when I am done." Kendra said, and he smiled at her. He got out and opened her door, and they walked inside of the building together. She was brought right in with a wide eyed look shot back his way, and then she looked around the huge office with a tense gaze. A man stood up and smiled at her as he took in her expression, and she stared at him. He was about six feet, with dark cropped hair and a very welcoming face. He seemed to be in his late thirties, and he came around the desk and shook her hand firmly.

"You must be Kendra. I have heard a lot about you from Dr. Cullen. I am Dr. Carlisie, but you can call me Steve if you would like to. I hate too much formality."

"Nice to meet you…..Steve. That just does not sound right." Kendra said, laughing a little. She glanced around and noticed the sofa and the chair across from it that you always hear about, and wrinkled her nose.

"It's painless, I assure you." Steve assured her, and offered her something to drink. She asked for a soda and he led her to the couch as he asked his receptionist to bring it in. She sat down, finding the dark leather very comfortable and inviting. He took a seat in the recliner across from her and she glanced up as the receptionist brought in her Pepsi with a warm smile. Kendra opened it after she had left, and winced at the loud noise. "Don't be nervous. We'll do this at a slow pace. Just tell me a little about yourself and your family for now, Kendra."

She took a deep breath and did just that. It was similar to a conversation with Carlisle, warm and comfortable and soon she found it was time to leave. She shook his hand again and stood up with a startled look on her face. "I thought I would be a mess after this."

"Not every day will be easy, but we will try not to make you go through too much at one time." Steve promised her, and she grinned and nodded. She left and Edward glanced up from a magazine to smile at her, and Kendra glanced at the receptionist who was staring at him with a wistful smile. The woman looked at her computer screen instead, and he stood up and searched her face. They remained quiet until they were outside, and she hugged him eagerly.

"He was so much like Carlisle. He isn't pushy or asking me a million questions. We just….talked." Kendra said, and he kissed her cheek lightly.

"Told you, silly girl." Edward told her, and she pretended to glare at him. He led her to the car slowly and opened her door, looking closely at her face.

"Edward, what is it?" Kendra asked him, and he let his gaze to the ground for a moment.

"I feel like…..I feel like it is so soon. But I love you, Kendra." Edward murmured, meeting her eyes again. "I know that might be a lot to hear right now, but…."

Kendra blinked and pulled his face to hers to kiss him hard, and he slid his arms around her lower back gently. He let his lips linger longer then normal, and pulled away gently to smile at her. "Edward, seriously?"

"Yes, seriously. Too much?" Edward asked her, and she smiled widely.

"Not really. I…..I kind of love you too." Kendra told him, and he pressed a hand against her neck and chest and smiled.

"Your heart is beating so fast." Edward murmured, and she nodded as she stared at him. They got in the car and went to get Alice and then headed to Kendra's house. James came home to the friends watching a movie and talking, and he looked around the living room with a smile. Kendra pulled Edward up to introduce them, and the men shook hands and greeted each other. Alice smiled at Kendra as she looked back at her, and Kendra winked at her. Edward and James talked in the kitchen for a moment as the girls giggled quietly in the living room, and James headed up the stairs with a wary smile. The siblings left before dinner, and Heidi and Kendra made him his favorite meal of fried chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy, fixing him a salad to go with it. He glanced at Kendra with a serious look and she looked back at him.

"Edward seems like a nice enough guy. I think he knows to take good care of you, Kendra." James told her, and she nodded with a smile. "So can I ask how it went today?"

"It was great. He is really nice and we started off on a casual level and just talked. I think I'll be comfortable with Steve." Kendra said thoughtfully, and Heidi and James smiled at each other. The sisters cleaned up and went upstairs to watch a show in Heidi's room, and Heidi gazed at her sister with an envious look.

"He is in love with you, Kendra. Does that scare you?" Heidi asked her, and Kendra shrugged.

"He has not told me anything like that, so I am not certain. But it doesn't. Edward is not David, and he is patient with me. He does not want to move too fast." Kendra replied, and Heidi sighed. Kendra hated to lie, but it seemed like the right thing to do at the moment.

"I need a guy like that. The ones I know are so blah." Heidi told her, and Kendra smiled.

"They're nice. It is just that you have known them all your life." Kendra told her, and looked at the floor for a moment. "I was comfortable like you in Maryland too."

"When do you think he'll be here?" Heidi whispered, and Kendra shrugged again. "Are you scared?"

"A little. I am trying not to worry too much, but I know how he is."

"Was it…..awful, Kendra?" Heidi asked, and Kendra felt a tear slide down her cheek.

"Worse." Kendra replied, and Heidi hugged her. "I'll be OK. I…will be OK." The girls finished the show and Kendra went to her room slowly with tears in her eyes. She walked in to see Edward looking at a picture of her and her mother, and he glanced at her with warm eyes.

"What's wrong?" He was at her side in a second, wiping her face with his fingers gently.

"I was just talking with Heidi. It upset me." Kendra replied, closing her eyes. "I'm scared, Edward. I am really scared."

"It's OK, love. I am going to keep you safe." He led her to the bed and sat her down, sitting beside her and stroking her hair. She leaned into him closely and he kissed her head gently. "We are ready for him."

"I know. I'm sorry, Edward." Kendra whispered, and he kissed her cheek. She met his lips with hers and he held her hair tightly in his hand. She would not let him pull away and he out his hand against her face and gently separated himself.

"Not this way." Edward told her, and she stared at him. "I am not rejecting you, but I think you need to calm down a bit."

"I know." Kendra said, laying back on the bed. She felt him watching her and she met his gaze, and he slid down next to her slowly. She took several deep breaths, completely distracted by his presence next to her and she bit her lip as he stroked her hair again gently. She rolled over and pressed into him, and he slid his arm around her back and stroked her back in small circles. Kendra never took her eyes off of his, and she saw that he was feeling the same way that she did as she gazed at him. She reached up and touched his face gently with one fingertip, watching his eyes burn as she touched his lips teasingly. He pulled her closer to him as is grip tightened on her back, and she found herself pressed against his body even closer and she could not keep from kissing him. He moaned and slid his hand up her back roughly, and she felt him deepen the kiss and she slid her arm around his head and into his hair eagerly. Edward struggled as he pulled away, and she kissed him again.

"Kendra, love. You're killing me." Edward whispered, lifting her up and laying her against her pillows and he moved into her. She felt him pressing into her parted legs, and he kissed her again eagerly. Kendra slid her feet over his legs and pulled his face closer, and he slid his hands up her side as she shuddered. He lifted the hem of her shirt and touched her side and she felt the panic it her.

"No, Edward, I don't want you to see me." Kendra struggled, and he pulled away from her with stricken eyes.

"Kendra, I love you. I don't care." Edward assured her, and she turned her head as she closed her eyes. "Baby, it's OK." He sat up and moved away from her, and his eyes turned to a dark anger. "You would not be like this if it were not for him. He made you feel so ugly, Kendra, when you're the most beautiful girl I have ever seen." Edward sat next to her, and she met his eyes hesitantly. He looked at the door and then at her. "Closet." He was gone in an instant, and she fixed her clothes and wiped her eyes, looking surprised when she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." Kendra saw her dad peek his head in, and she tried not to look started. She yawned to cover anything, and smiled.

"I just wanted to tell you I am proud of you, Ken. You're trying so hard right now." James told her, and she got up to give him a hug.

"Thanks, Dad." Kendra told him, and he smiled at her. He told her good night and closed the door again, and she sighed. He was holding up so well for what he was going through. He had always been so protective of her despite their distance, and Kendra knew that he loved her. He had not been as close to her since her relationship with David, but Kendra was not stupid. She knew that her family knew more than she thought they did, and probably from the beginning. She remembered when she had heard that he knew about the rape, and how her heart had broken. She had only spoken to him on the phone and tried very hard to be strong. She felt a pair of arms slide around her, and she felt Edward kiss her hair. He touched her so gently and she closed her eyes.

"I am proud of you as well. You're working very hard, love." Edward assured her, and she stroked his muscular arms slowly. She turned slowly to face him and stared into his face for a long moment. "It is going to take time, Kendra, and I am willing to give you all of the time that you need. We will be together completely one day and I want you to be truly ready for it." His eyes were warm and loving as he gazed at her, and she slid her hands around his neck and kissed him gently. "I love you, Kendra." His voice was a whisper against her lips, and she shivered. "I love you so much."

"I love you, Edward." Kendra told him, and kissed him harder as they both held onto each other tighter.

Heidi convinced Kendra to go shopping with her again a few weekends later, since it was Saturday and that could go to dinner afterwards. She agreed, since she knew that Edward has something to do with his family and there was no getting out of it. Kendra was feeling tentatively strong, ,since she had been to see Dr. Steve several times and they were tackling tougher subjects. He helped her through every tough hour, and she knew why she had reacted to David so physically and that it was not her fault. She had always had a basic understanding of her cutting herself, but he took it to a deeper level. David had destroyed her capability of being strong with his mental abuse and fear, and she had needed to channel it. She had been given something to use on the scars by Carlisle as well, and they seemed to be healing somewhat. Edward had still not really seen them, though every night she came closer to giving in to her incredible need for him. His lips always teased her to the point of no return, and she desperately wondered how it would feel for him to touch her further and make love to her. Kendra knew that the time was nearing, and that she would not be scared. She smiled as Heidi parked the car in Port Angelas, and grabbed her purse with a laugh.

"You look awesome, sis." Heidi told her, and Kendra blushed. "You look so strong right now, and you're smiling so much these days. I know that Edward has a lot to do with it, but you seem more at peace with yourself as well. It's beautiful."

"Thanks, Heidi. I am so relieved that I am living again. It was horrible when I first came here." Kendra said, shaking her head at the memory. She hugged Heidi and they headed to some stores. Kendra did find some cute things, and groaned inwardly when she realized that Alice was influencing her taste even when she was not there. Heidi asked where they were, and Kendra smiled slightly as she prepared to lie. "They all went on one of their hikes somewhere. You know how they get on the few nice days that we have." It was Spring now, so it was warming slightly and there was a hint more sun. Kendra had a certain appreciation for the rain though, since there was something very appealing about sleeping in Edward's arms as the drops hit her window in the dark. She went further in her mind and imagined one of his kisses, and shivered lightly.

"Are you okay?" Heidi asked her with a laugh, and Kendra closed her eyes and nodded. She was making her feelings for Edwards more obvious now, and Heidi could see that the couple loved each other. "Kendra, have you……"

"No, Heidi. I need to be totally ready and I have not been. It is a big step once it has been forced on you." Kendra said softly, and Heidi took her hand. "I know with all that I can that Edward would never hurt me, but some stupid fear always stops me."

"I can't imagine." Heidi said, having been involved with their friend Cody for a few weeks now. "It is so easy for me."

"You're lucky." Kendra told her in a cracking voice as the emotion and her need for Edward combined, and she shook her head. "I'll have that too." They both headed to another store, and it was not Kendra's favorite, and she started to get thirsty. "Hey, sis. I am going to head over to get something to drink down at that smoothie place." Heidi looked at her with a raised eyebrow, and Kendra smiled. "I will be right back. I promise." Heidi nodded and turned her face to the rack in the far corner of the store, and Kendra headed out to the sidewalk. She was daydreaming of Edward as she walked, and she passed a dark space that was between two of the buildings without even noticing. Someone grabbed her arm and held her still as they stepped out onto the street.

"You look good as a redhead." The voice chilled her, and Kendra felt him stroke a tendril of her hair. "I always liked the blonde too, but this is especially sexy." His voice was pleased, and she glanced into the ice blue eyes that had haunted her for weeks with fear. He lowered his voice to a whisper as he leaned closer to her, and she began to tremble. She glanced back at the store as his grip on her arm tightened, and he laughed softly. "I would not think of going back there, sweet Kendra. I would be required to have your lovely sister join us, and while I would enjoy that, I think that you would feel a bit guilty." He pulled her along the sidewalk and she stopped. "Come with me, Kendra. I don't want to hurt another family member of yours." David's words chilled her, and she gasped. He had parked very nearby, and he opened her door and pushed her into the new red Corolla with tinted windows all around. "Stay here." She closed her eyes as he came around to his side, angry with herself for being so scared. She had gotten stronger and happier, and here she was acting like the same girl that was raped at her home so long ago.

"Why are you here?" Kendra asked him in a shaking voice, finally looking at him. He had been so handsome to her when they had met, and now his pale blue eyes only invoked fear as he gazed at her hungrily. His curling dark blond hair was longer than he liked, and his face looked tired. "What do you want, David?"

"I came for you. You know that I love you Kendra." David told her, and she closed her eyes, "It's hard to find you alone these days, so today I lucked out." She trembled and clenched her fists as he touched her hair. "You seem to have a few friends here, and I see you with that guy. He'll never see you again after today." David's voice darkened, and she let out a small scream. "You're mine, Kendra. I should kill him for touching you the way I should be. I will replace any of that with myself today." "He laughed and she heard the insanity that he suffered from echoed in it. "I am going to fuck you so hard today, and then…..oh then." She felt the tears sliding down her cheeks, and she looked around desperately at the empty street that they were on in the industrial part of Port Angelas. They were surrounded by warehouses, and he parked the car hard as she flew forward a little in her seat. He got out of his side and yanked her roughly out of his side, and pulled her to a door that was in a dark alley. She tried to scream as he unlocked the door, but he covered her mouth with his as he got the door unlocked. She struggled and he shoved her inside onto the cement floor . Kendra moaned as she hit the floor hard and he closed the door and locked it several times. He picked her up and then took her to a mattress in the corner of the room. She looked around with blurry eyes to see a loft style apartment minus all of the windows within the warehouse. She knew this was where she was going to die, and she hoped that The Cullens knew what was happening to her. David stared into her throbbing face as he climbed over her and she tried to push away from him. "You're so beautiful, Kendra. How could you ever think that you could get away from me like that? I will always find you." He took in her shaking body and his eyes met hers with a lustful gaze, and he roughly touched her as she cried out.

"How could you hurt my mom, David? She did nothing to you." Kendra said, and he laughed.

"I didn't have to do too much. She gave up where you were pretty quickly, Kendra." She glared at him, remembering her mother's injuries. He unzipped her hoodie and pushed it off of her, and she felt him pinning her legs down with his own. He was bigger enough to be stronger than she was, and she breathed heavily. "You never came to see her, when I waited." He tore open her shirt and she gasped, and he traced her stomach with his hand. "You're healing. I know you cannot be that happy…" David's voice trailed off, and his eyes seemed angry at the idea of her being happy without him. As if she was ever happy with him. He stared at her as his eyes darkened and she saw the wheels turning.

"I didn't want to get hurt as well by going to see her." Kendra told him, wincing as he forcefully ripped off her bra. She felt so exposed and she tried to cover herself until he pinned her arms over her head with one of his. He was stronger, and she became terrified. "David, please. Don't do this again." He cupped her breast roughly with one hand and she struggled. The room was dim and she tried to look around for something to help her. She cried out in pain as he touched her, but he moaned softly in obvious desire. He moved his hand down to her jeans and she screamed, and he hit her hard. He moved off of her legs as she lay there stunned, and unbuttoned them easily and began to pull them off. Kendra felt the tears in her eyes and gave up any fight that she had left. She closed her eyes and felt his hands on her bare legs as she shook uncontrollably, and suddenly there was a crashing sound. His hands were gone and she curled up into a ball to hide herself, hearing a commotion in the room as chaos broke out around her. She heard the dim voices of Edward and his brother, and thanked them silently as Edward's rage came through in his voice. She heard David pleading for his life, and she smiled at the fear in his voice. She had only heard it in her own with him before, and the tables were turned. She heard a sickening crack and then cool arms around her.

"Kendra." It was Rosalie, and Kendra gasped. "I brought you a blanket." Kendra took it from her and wrapped herself up, and looked at the blond vampire for a moment.

"Why are you here?" Kendra asked her, and she saw the blond dimply in the light.

"I feel your pain, even still. I am so glad that we got here on time." Rosalie said, and Kendra nodded even though she didn't know what Rosalie meant by it. The others came over from across the room and Alice sat right by Kendra as Edward took her gently into his arms.

"Are you okay?" Alice asked her, and she closed her eyes as it hit her. She was safe. She was never going to be hurt again.

"Yes. I think that I finally am." She trembled with emotion and he stroked her gently through the thick blanket for a long time, and then suggested that they leave. She pulled up her jeans under the blanket and brought her hoodie into the bathroom to change back into it, and Alice looked sadly at her torn shirt. Kendra let them lead her to Carlisle's car, happy to be in Edward's safe arms as they drove away from the apartment. He stared with anger at her bruising face, and she remembered the crack. She saw Emmett and Jasper running to the car, and looked back to see a fire burning inside of the warehouse. "He's really gone. Thank you, Edward. Thank you to all of you." The others got into their car and everyone drove to the Cullen's house, as Edward filled her in,

"Alice saw you in a car with him right about the time Heidi called us screaming that you had disappeared. We got the cars and came right to Port Angelas, but we had to figure out where he had taken you. I was beside myself the entire time thinking what he was doing to you, and it took everything I had to keep somewhat calm. When I saw him on that bed with you, I nearly ripped his head off of his body. Nobody should be able to do that to a woman, especially my woman." Edward smiled sadistically as he gazed out of the window. "Breaking his neck was not enough, but it needed to be fast. I had a little revenge before that." Kendra snuggled closer to him, and he pressed his face into her messy hair. "Did he hurt you badly, love? He didn't rape you again, did he?" Edward's voice was a painful whisper, and she choked on a sob.

"No, you got there just in time. He did hurt me a little, but I am so glad that you got there when you did. He was going to kill me after it." Kendra told him softly, and she felt him tense up beside her. He kissed her hair and she lifted her lips to his, when he kissed her gently. "I am not scared of you, Edward. I love you." Kendra told him, needing to replace the feeling of David's brutal kiss. She shuddered again when she remembered his hands on her, and Edward sighed with a long and angry breath. Alice had called Heidi to tell her that Kendra was safe by this time, and they pulled up to the house as Carlisle and Esme stepped outside. Esme took Kendra into her arms warmly as Edward reluctantly let her go, and Kendra cried brokenly on her shoulder. Carlisle gave her the time that she needed, and then checked her face carefully. Her cheek was bruised from David's solid hit, and her head and forehead were also bruised from the push to the floor. She had managed to use her arms to block some of the damage from the fall, leaving them sore as well. She considered herself lucky, knowing David.

"What do we tell her family?" Carlisle asked the room, and Kendra looked at their faces.

"I am going to tell her father that I protected her. He can come to his own conclusions from there, since I am sure that he would back what we did." Edward said, and Carlisle sighed slowly. "It does not point out what we are. The evidence of that is covered in the fire, and all anybody needs to know is that he is gone and that she is safe, as well as everybody else." Edward took her hand securely, and stroked her hand with his thumb. "I did what I had to do."

"Thank you again." Kendra spoke up, gazing at all of the meaningfully. "I would be dead if it were not for you."

There were more hugs and tears on Kendra's part, and Edward took her home. She knew her family was losing their minds and wanted to see her in the flesh. She walked in as Edward trailed her, and Heidi and James jumped off of the couch. James looked at her face and started to cry as he hugged her, and Heidi wrapped her arms around them. "I was so scared when you didn't come back. I knew he had found you, Kendra." Heidi said again and again, and Kendra cried.

"Did that bastard touch you?" James demanded in an angry voice, and she glanced at Edward for a second.

"Not as much as he could have. I am really okay, Dad." Kendra assured him, and he looked at Edward.

"Is he gone?" James voice was a simple question, with no details being needed.

"Yes, sir. He will hurt her no longer. Edward responded, and James nodded with tears on his face.

"Thank you for protecting my baby." His voice was now wrought with emotion, and Kendra hugged him again. "I love you so much, Kendra. I was so scared that you were going to die."

"I love you, Daddy." Kendra told him, and felt him shake a little harder. "I love both of you so much, and I am sorry that I brought this on you."

"You did nothing wrong." They both assured her, and Kendra cried a little more. Edward sat down on the couch and watched quietly, and Kendra met his warm eyes. Everyone parted after a long time, and Kendra sat by Edward on the couch. He took her hand casually and James and Heidi went into the kitchen to make dinner. Kendra leaned on Edward's shoulder and stared into his eyes.

"I love you so much." Her voice was a whisper, and he told her in the same tone that he loved her as well. She ate small bites of dinner with her family, and went to Edward's for the night for a break from their emotion. He held her in his arms in his room, and she pressed against him in the bed that he had purchased. "Will you still be with me at night when I am home?" Kendra asked him, and he stroked her hair.

"Of course, if you'll have me. I know I do not need to be there for your protection anymore, but I love being with you at night."

"I might be a bit clingy. I still feel….like I need to be protected." Kendra admitted to him, and he kissed her gently. He stared at her as she lay next to him, and they locked gazes for a long moment. His eyes swept over her face, and darkened again at the bruises.

"I almost lost you today, love. Had I not been who I am, you would be dead. It is one of the few times in life that I have appreciated that, especially with you." Edward admitted, and he shook his head. "You do not know what you mean to me, Kendra, not the full extent of it anyway."

"I know I love you. I know that you're there for me, and that is enough for me now." Kendra told him, and kissed his lips longingly. "Just keep doing that, okay?" She trembled in his arms, and he pulled her closer as he kissed her again slowly.


End file.
